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Testing a New Alcohol‐Free Hand Sanitizer to Combat Infection
Author(s) -
Dyer David L.,
Gerenratch Kenneth B.,
Wadhams Peter S.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
aorn journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1878-0369
pISSN - 0001-2092
DOI - 10.1016/s0001-2092(06)62517-9
Subject(s) - hand sanitizer , hand washing , medicine , personal protective equipment , alcohol , infection control , benzalkonium chloride , hygiene , covid-19 , surgery , chemistry , biochemistry , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Universal precautions require that perioperative health care personnel wash their hands before and after all patient contact. Time constraints, however, can make adhering to universal precautions, including proper hand washing, difficult. Some perioperative health care workers, therefore, routinely use rinse‐free hand sanitizers to supplement normal hand washing. This study evaluated immediate and persistent antimicrobial effectiveness of two alcohol‐containing hand sanitizers and a novel surfactant allantoin, benzalkonium chloride (SAB) hand sanitizer using a federally approved effectiveness protocol. Results Indicate that all three products were equally effective after a single application. After repeated use, the alcohol‐containing sanitizers did not meet federal performance standards, and the alcohol‐free sanitizer did. These properties and others Illustrated in this article indicate that the nonflammable, alcohol‐free SAB hand sanitizer Is the‐most favorable of the rinse‐free hand sanitizer formulas for normal hand washing. AORN J 68(August 1998) 239–251.