A comparison of the antimicrobial effect of 0.5% chlorhexidine (HibistatR) and 70% isopropyl alcohol on hands contaminated with Serratia marcescens

Two antimicrobial preparations for handwashing were compared by the‘gloved handwash method’ in seventy‐two subjects and bacterial counts were obtained for each hand after initial contamination, and after 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 contamination treatment procedures.

Abstract

Two antimicrobial preparations for handwashing were compared by the‘gloved handwash method’ in seventy‐two subjects. The test preparation was 0.5% chlorhexidine gluconate alcoholic‐emollient handwash (Hibistat®); the reference agent was 70% isopropyl alcohol. The hands were contaminated with Serratia marcescens and disinfected with each antiseptic twenty‐five times over an 8 h day. Bacterial counts were obtained for each hand after initial contamination, and after 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 contamination treatment procedures. There was a statistically significant reduction in recovery of S. marcescens after chlorhexidine treatment compared to alcohol (P < 0.01). When recovery of organisms was plotted against the number of handwashes, there was a significant linear reduction in transient flora for chlorhexidine treated hands (P < 0.01) but not for alcohol treated hands (P < 0.20).