Zeitschrift für klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie
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Alcohol Based Handrub versus Traditional Hand Scrub as Surgical Hand Disinfection in a Tertiary Eye Teaching Hospital in Iraq

Suzan AMA Kareem, Ali A Mahmood and Zaid R Hussein

Aim of the study: To compare alcohol-based handrub solutions and standard surgical scrub in preoperative hand disinfection.
Methods: Single center, blinded, controlled study performed over a period of 4 weeks in the Ibn Al Haithem hospital. Surgeons, seniors and residents (with more than 2 years of experience) volunteered for inclusion in this study by taking their fingerprints on blood agar before and after hand disinfection.
The two methods of disinfection were the following:
A: Alcohol-based handrub with sterillium. The solution is applied to the hands for 1.5 min and then left to dry. The fingertips and thumb prints are then taken on blood agar plates.
B: The hands are washed with soap and water using a gentle brush for 5 min and then left to dry.The fingertips and thumbprints are then taken on blood agar plates.
Results: One hundred samples were collected twice. Fifty volunteers were in each group, and samples were collected before and after washing the hands.
The mean reduction in colony counts was 104.6 (P<0.001) in the alcohol group.
The meanreduction in colony counts was 18.6 (P>0.001) in the standard scrub group.
Conclusion: In preoperative hand disinfection, alcohol-based handrub significantly reduces the bacterial colony counts compared with standard surgical scrub.