Effect of chlorhexidine 0.5% on the hand bacterial flora

The effects of cleaning the dorsal hand with chlorhexidine 0.5% in spirit was evaluated by bacteriological study in 45 adult patients. In the absence of cleaning it was found that the prevalent microorganisms were Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus viridans and Enterobacteriaceae. Cleaning the hand with chlorhexidine 0.5% eliminated all bacteria except S. epidermidis and S. aureus. In both instances, the culture results showed that the microorganisms were present in very low growth density.