The efficacy of alcohol-based hand disinfectant products

Over the last few years alcohol-based hand disinfectants have become widely available within health care, providing an alternative means of achieving good hand decontamination. In the hospital setting their advantage over soap and water is that they can be applied in transit to the next patient or task and therefore may help improve compliance with hand decontamination. Within the community setting they provide a suitable alternative to handwashing, particularly where there may be inadequate handwashing facilities. This article considers some issues around their use, namely indications for use, efficacy, and potential for skin damage.