Effect of the Smell of Hand Sanitizer on Cardiorespiratory Status and Stress Levels in Preterm Infants

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Infant physiology
• Clinical nursing

Background:

• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are crucial for infection control in neonatal intensive care units.
• The olfactory stimulation from alcohol-based hand sanitizers may affect preterm infants' physiological responses.
• Understanding optimal waiting times is essential to minimize potential stress in vulnerable neonates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different waiting times (20, 30, and 40 seconds) after alcohol-based hand sanitizer application on preterm infants.
• To assess the effect of smell exposure duration on cardiorespiratory parameters and stress levels in preterm infants.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest design was employed with 25 preterm infants (32-37 weeks gestation).
• Physiological parameters including heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), respiratory rate (RR), and cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were monitored.
• Infant stress levels were evaluated before and after sanitizer application at varying waiting intervals.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in stress levels, HR, and RR were observed at 20 and 30-second waiting intervals (p < 0.05), but not at 40 seconds.
• A significant decrease in SpO2 was noted only at the 20-second waiting interval (p < 0.05).
• No significant changes in cerebral NIRS values were found across all waiting times (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Waiting 40 seconds after applying alcohol-based hand sanitizer does not induce significant stress or cardiorespiratory compromise in preterm infants.
• A minimum waiting time of 40 seconds is recommended before contact to mitigate potential adverse effects.
• This finding supports safe and effective hand hygiene practices in neonatal care.