Abstract

LONDONO, Ángela Liliana  and  MURILLAS, Marta Lucia. Effectiveness of alcohol-based handrub vs handwashing with soap and water. Acta Med Colomb [online]. 2011, vol.36, n.4, pp.181-186. ISSN 0120-2448.

Introduction: The effectiveness of alcohol-based handrub containing 80% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol 75%, as an alternative to handwashing with plain soap and water is the objective of global challenge for the safety of the patient, "Clean Care is Safer Care". Objective: To measure effectiveness on removing germs of Alcohol-based handrub proposed by the World Health Organization. Materials and methods: We included 103 health workers, 17.5% physicians and 82.5% nurses who worked in a hospital. 332 samples were taken before and after each technique Results: 28.3% samples were identified coloni forming units before handwashing and 15.3% in the posterior (p=0.234), with alcohol-based handrub in the sample previous 25.6% and after the hygiene 2.4% (p= 0.000). Coagulase-negative staphylococci were identified in 25.9% and 2.1% gram negative samples, in 4 cases was isolated Enterobacter sp. The alcohol-based handrub was effective when calculated before and handrubbing (RR 0.10 CI 0.02-0.39) when compared with the technique handwashing with soap and water (RR 0.12 CI 0.03- 0.5). The technique of handwashing was not effective (RR 0.71 CI 0.43-1.18) Conclusion: Alcohol-based handrub prepared using the suggested recipe by the World Health Organization is more effective in removing germs than handwashing with soap. (Acta Med Colomb 2011; 36: 181-186)

Keywords : Handwashing; Cross Infection; hospital infections; Nosocomial Infections Infectious Disease Transmission; Professional-to-Patient; Infection Control; Communicable Disease Control; Health Care.

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