Randomised controlled trial of nail brushes and nail picks during surgical hand antisepsis to reduce bacteria on hands

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN06654497

Enrollment

150

Registered

2007-04-04

Start date

2007-08-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2015-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Surgical hand antisepsis (the surgical scrub) Surgery Antisepsis

Interventions

Operating room staff performing the first scrub of the day will be randomised to one of the following three groups: 1. Group one (control): standard hand antisepsis - no nail brush, no nail pick 2. Gr

Eligibility

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Operating room nursing staff at University Hospitals of Leicester (UK) who are experienced in performing surgical hand antisepsis (scrubbing) 2. Staff performing their first antisepsis of the day 3. Staff with no cuts to their hands

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Staff who are allergic to chlorhexidine gluconate (antiseptic solution) 2. Staff wearing hand rings 3. Staff with cuts or abrasions on their hands

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Colony forming units (number of bacteria) on staff hands before and after the intervention (surgical hand antisepsis with or without nail brush or nail pick).	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
No secondary outcome measures	—

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026