Disinfection of Hands: Removal of Transient Organisms

Abstract

Washing with povidone-iodine surgical scrub and rinsing with 0.5% aqueous chlorhexidine-diacetate solution) caused reduction of Staphylococcus aureus by 99.97% and 99.86% respectively in samplings from the treated, as compared with untreated control areas; these effects were significantly greater than that of bar soap and water, which caused a reduction of 99.62% in the mean count. Similar results were obtained with Pseudomonas pyocyanea, though with that organism an effect significantly better than that of soap and water was obtained only with chlorhexidine solution. A chlor-hexidine solution was significantly more active in removing S. aureus from the hands than a solution of hypochlorite. Dried suspensions of Escherichia coli were removed more effectively from gloved than from ungloved hands. Suspensions of S. aureus allowed to dry on hands which were previously washed with a hexachlorophane or an iodophor detergent preparation or treated with chlorhexidine cream showed a significantly smaller proportion of survivors than similar inocula on hands not treated with an antiseptic.