Is sterility essential for hand-drying products in surgical hand antisepsis? A controlled before-and-after study

Using sterile hand-drying products for surgical hand antisepsis incurs high economic and labor costs.

In March 2024, a controlled study was conducted with 50 medical volunteers from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. The study compared bacterial cultures on hands after drying with different products and using a rinse-free hand disinfectant, while also calculating the hand-drying cost per surgical procedure.

Colony counts from hand bacterial cultures after drying with clean paper towels, sterile cloth towels, and sterile paper towels were 0.01 (0.00, 0.18) CFU/cm², 0.30 (0.05, 0.77) CFU/cm², and 0.01 (0.00, 0.08) CFU/cm², with a significant difference (P < .001). After using rinse-free hand disinfectant, counts were 0.00 CFU/cm² for all methods, with no significant difference (P > .05). Total bacterial colonies were below 5 CFU/cm², meeting surgical hand antisepsis standards. All products had a 100% qualification rate, with costs of CNY 0.20 RMB for clean paper towels, CNY 5.70 RMB for sterile cloth towels, and CNY 8.20 RMB for sterile paper towels.

Clean paper towels, sterile cloth towels, and sterile paper towels all meet the hygiene requirements for hand-drying during surgical hand antisepsis. However, clean paper towels result in fewer residual bacteria on the hands compared to sterile cloth towels. Moreover, clean paper towels are more cost-effective and can significantly reduce operating room expenses.

Healthcare institutions may utilize clean paper towels as an alternative to sterile products for hand-drying during surgical hand antisepsis.