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Alternative hand contamination technique to compare the activities of antimicrobial and nonantimicrobial soaps under different test conditions.
- Source :
-
Applied and environmental microbiology [Appl Environ Microbiol] 2008 Jun; Vol. 74 (12), pp. 3739-44. Date of Electronic Publication: 2008 Apr 25. - Publication Year :
- 2008
-
Abstract
- Antimicrobial hand soaps provide a greater bacterial reduction than nonantimicrobial soaps. However, the link between greater bacterial reduction and a reduction of disease has not been definitively demonstrated. Confounding factors, such as compliance, soap volume, and wash time, may all influence the outcomes of studies. The aim of this work was to examine the effects of wash time and soap volume on the relative activities and the subsequent transfer of bacteria to inanimate objects for antimicrobial and nonantimicrobial soaps. Increasing the wash time from 15 to 30 seconds increased reduction of Shigella flexneri from 2.90 to 3.33 log(10) counts (P = 0.086) for the antimicrobial soap, while nonantimicrobial soap achieved reductions of 1.72 and 1.67 log(10) counts (P > 0.6). Increasing soap volume increased bacterial reductions for both the antimicrobial and the nonantimicrobial soaps. When the soap volume was normalized based on weight (approximately 3 g), nonantimicrobial soap reduced Serratia marcescens by 1.08 log(10) counts, compared to the 3.83-log(10) reduction caused by the antimicrobial soap (P < 0.001). The transfer of Escherichia coli to plastic balls following a 15-second hand wash with antimicrobial soap resulted in a bacterial recovery of 2.49 log(10) counts, compared to the 4.22-log(10) (P < 0.001) bacterial recovery on balls handled by hands washed with nonantimicrobial soap. This indicates that nonantimicrobial soap was less active and that the effectiveness of antimicrobial soaps can be improved with longer wash time and greater soap volume. The transfer of bacteria to objects was significantly reduced due to greater reduction in bacteria following the use of antimicrobial soap.
- Subjects :
- Adolescent
Adult
Anti-Bacterial Agents administration & dosage
Colony Count, Microbial
Escherichia coli drug effects
Escherichia coli growth & development
Humans
Middle Aged
Serratia marcescens drug effects
Serratia marcescens growth & development
Shigella flexneri drug effects
Shigella flexneri growth & development
Soaps administration & dosage
Time Factors
Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology
Bacteria drug effects
Bacteria growth & development
Disinfection methods
Hand microbiology
Hand Disinfection methods
Soaps pharmacology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1098-5336
- Volume :
- 74
- Issue :
- 12
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Applied and environmental microbiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 18441107
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02405-07