Wiping Is Inferior to Rubbing: A Note of Caution for Hand Hygiene With Alcohol-Based Solutions

Jérôme Ory; Walter Zingg; Marlieke E A de Kraker; Hervé Soule; Didier Pittet

doi:10.1017/ice.2017.307

Wiping Is Inferior to Rubbing: A Note of Caution for Hand Hygiene With Alcohol-Based Solutions

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2018 Mar;39(3):332-335. doi: 10.1017/ice.2017.307. Epub 2018 Jan 30.

Authors

Jérôme Ory¹, Walter Zingg², Marlieke E A de Kraker², Hervé Soule², Didier Pittet²

Affiliations

¹ 1Service d'Hygiène Hospitalière du Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire,Clermont-Ferrand,France.
² 2Infection Control Program and WHO Collaborating Center on Patient Safety,University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine,Geneva,Switzerland.

PMID: 29378674
DOI: 10.1017/ice.2017.307

Abstract

We evaluated whether hand wiping is noninferior to hand rubbing in reducing the bacterial concentration on hands. In 20 healthy volunteers, hand wiping with or without an alcohol-based solution was inferior to hand rubbing with an alcohol-based solution. This finding warrants a note of caution for the application of wipes in health care. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:332-335.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Academic Medical Centers
Alcohols / pharmacology*
Anti-Infective Agents, Local / pharmacology*
Cross Infection / prevention & control
Escherichia coli / drug effects*
Escherichia coli / isolation & purification*
Hand / microbiology
Hand Disinfection / methods*
Hand Hygiene
Humans
Switzerland
Volunteers

Substances

Alcohols
Anti-Infective Agents, Local