Disinfection of the skin of the abdomen

The skin of the abdomen of 106 staff and 358 patients was sampled 5 min and 2 h after disinfection using contact plates. Control areas of skin were treated with water only or left untreated. A reduction of 99 per cent (log reduction factor = 2) or more in colony counts was obtained in 5 min with 70 per cent ethyl alcohol and alcoholic solutions of chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine and chloroxylenol/EDTA. Aqueous solutions of chlorhexidine (0.5 per cent) Savlon (5 per cent), povidone-iodine (10 per cent) and chloroxylenol/EDTA (X10 recommended concentration) also showed similar reductions. Weaker aqueous solutions of chlorhexidine (0.05 per cent), Savlon (1 per cent) and chloroxylenol/EDTA (recommended concentration) were significantly less effective than the alcoholic and the most effective aqueous solutions, although all were more effective than water. Total bacterial counts were lower from the skin of female than from male staff and lower from staff than from patients. Pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus or Gram-negative bacilli) were isolated from only one member of staff in small numbers and irregularly and rarely in large numbers from patients. Few pathogens were isolated after application of any of the disinfectants.