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Hygienic hand disinfection tests in three laboratories
G A Ayliffe1, J R Babb, J G Davies
1Hospital Infection Research Laboratory, Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham.
The Journal of Hospital Infection
|August 1, 1990
Summary
This study validates a hand disinfection test using Staphylococcus aureus on fingertips. The test proved reproducible across labs and effective for ranking hygienic hand wash products.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Disease Prevention
- Dermatology
Background:
- Hygienic hand disinfection is crucial for infection control.
- Standardized testing methods are needed to evaluate the efficacy of hand hygiene products.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the reproducibility and repeatability of a novel fingertip inoculation test for hygienic hand disinfection.
- To compare the effectiveness of chlorhexidine preparations and non-medicated soap.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 74 volunteers across three laboratories.
- Application of Staphylococcus aureus to fingertips, followed by washing with chlorhexidine preparations or soap.
- Assessment of log10 reductions in bacterial counts after single and multiple applications.
Main Results:
- The fingertip inoculation test demonstrated sufficient reproducibility between laboratories and repeatability within laboratories.
- While variations in log10 reductions were observed, they were consistently small.
- Differences in effectiveness between tested preparations were consistent across all participating centers.
Conclusions:
- The fingertip inoculation method is a convenient and realistic approach for evaluating hygienic hand disinfection.
- The test is suitable for use as a standard method to rank the effectiveness of hand hygiene products.
- Controlled application of this test ensures reliable and comparable results for product evaluation.