Hand Hygiene

Q. What is hand hygiene? A. Hand hygiene is a general term that refers to a method of removing germs from the hands so they cannot be transmitted to anyone else. The two most common types of hand hygiene are hand washing with soap and water and using an alcohol-based hand rub. Soap and water should be used when hands are visibly dirty, contaminated, or soiled, after using the restroom, and before eating or preparing food. Washing hands with soap and water is also recommended to prevent the spread of certain germs (such as Clostridium difficile).

METHODOLOGY: Fluid from the wipe was expressed aseptically and transferred to sterile incubator tubes. The tubes were subsequently inoculated with the broth culture of the test microorganism containing up to 10 8 CFU. After 15 seconds, the entire inoculated volume of Sani-Hands ® formula was transferred to neutralizers. Serial dilutions were plated using standard plating techniques, and percent reductions for each organism were calculated after incubation.

CONCLUSION:
Sani-Hands ® wipes demonstrated to be effective at killing all microorganisms listed in 15 seconds after drying.

VIRAL STUDIES 5 PURPOSE:
To evaluate the antiviral properties of Sani-Hands ® wipes when exposed to a virus (in suspension) for a 15 second exposure. 6 METHODOLOGY: Fluid from the wipe was expressed aseptically and transferred to sterile tubes. The tubes were subsequently inoculated with the virus suspension and held for the 15 second exposure period. After the exposure period, a small aliquot was removed and assayed for presence of virus.

CONCLUSION:
Sani-Hands ® wipes demonstrated to be effective at killing all microorganisms listed in 15 seconds after drying.

MOST PREVALENT PATHOGENS BY HAI TYPE 15
The For a copy of relevant published studies, please contact your local PDI sales representative.

Product Efficacy Comparison (log reduction): Soap, Wipes and Gel Rubs
Soap and Water Alcohol Based Hand Wipe Gel Rub -

HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL HANDWASH STUDY USING SOILED HANDS 22
PURPOSE: To demonstrate the functionality of mechanical wiping relative to microbial reduction on heavily soiled hands.

METHODOLOGY:
The protocol used in this study is based on the procedures prescribed in the 1994 FDA tentative final monograph for a health care personnel handwash) Federal Register, Vol. 59, pp. 31402-31452, June 17, 1994). This procedure was modified to assess the effects of heavily soiled hands by using raw beef with a Gram negative bacteria (E. coli) count of at least 10 6 CFU/gram. Sani-Hands ® formula was tested against a rub-in handwash gel and a non-active control (wipe, wet with sterile water). Each subject followed a treatment procedure aligned with label use instructions.

CONCLUSION:
The performance criteria defined in the 1994 FDA Tentative Final Monograph, in part, requires that a product achieve at least a 2.0 log 10 reduction in a marker organism after the first treatment application. Sani-Hands ® wipes achieved a >2.0 log 10 reduction after a single hand treatment, thus exceeding FDA efficacy performance criteria specified for the initial treatment. The data below (Chart 1) suggests that the superior performance of Sani-Hands ® wipes is enhanced by the physical removal of soil and bacteria by the wipe. The results of the non-active control clearly demonstrate that physical wiping is functional in reducing microbial population. Even without the presence of an antimicrobial, the non-active control achieved nearly a 2 log 10 reduction. The data further suggests that, with the rub-in alcohol handwash gel, there is a significant disadvantage in microbial reduction without the benefit of wiping action.

PURPOSE:
To determine the ability of Sani-Hands ® wipes to reduce transient microbial flora when used in a hand treatment procedure with marker organism, Serriatia marcescens [ATTC No. 14752].

METHODOLOGY:
The protocol used in this study is based on the procedures prescribed in the 1994 FDA Tentative Final Monograph for healthcare personnel handwash (Federal Register Vol. 59, pp. 31402-31452, June 17, 1994). The required procedure is a modification of ASTM E-1174-94. Each subject followed a treatment procedure aligned with label use instructions.

CONCLUSION:
Sani-Hands ® wipes achieved a >2.0 log 10 reduction after a single hand treatment, thus exceeding FDA efficacy performance criteria for the initial treatment.