Infection
Conditions
Keywords
chlorhexidine, sterility, sterile hands
Brief summary
Currently at NYU institutions, providine-iodine and chlorhexidine medicated soaps are available as hand disinfection options. The purpose of this study is to determine the relative efficacy of traditional hand scrubs with chlorhexidine with or without rinsing with water after scrubbing is complete versus dry hand rubs with alcohol.
Detailed description
No current recommendations exist advocating the use of Providine-iodine or Chlorhexidine. Providine-iodine is safe and effective at reducing skin colonization with gram positive and negative bacteria, mycobacterium tuberculosis, fungi and viruses. Chlorhexidine similarly disrupts cellular membranes. It is bacteriocidal and bacteriostatic and has immediate and more lasting effect than iodine because it can bind to the stratum corneum of the skin and is effective against gram positive and negative organisms, lipophilic viruses and yeasts. All subjects who are employees of the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases and have experience with surgical hand disinfection will be asked to enroll. Subjects will be randomized into one of three study arms using an online randomizer: (1) the standard chlorhexidine with water rinse, (2) chlorhexidine without water rinse(experimental), and (3) standard chlorhexidine followed by sterillium hand rub. After hand disinfection protocol has been completed, each subject will have each hand cultured three times using a cotton swab culture stick and sent to the microbiology lab for processing
Interventions
OTHERChlorhexidine with water rinse
This procedure will be followed for both the right and left hands and arms: scrub each side of finger, in between fingers and back and front of hands for 2 minutes, followed by scrubbing of arms, keeping hands higher than arms at all times, wash each side of the arms from wrist to elbow for 1 minute
OTHERChlorhexidine without water rinse
Scrub each side of finger, in between fingers and back and front of hands for 2 minutes, proceed to scrub the arms, keeping the hand higher than the arm at all times, wash each side of the arms from wrist to elbow for 1 minute, and repeat the process on the other arm.
OTHERChlorhexidine + sterillium hand rub
Scrub each side of finger, in between fingers and back and front of hands for 2 minutes, Scrub each side of finger, in between fingers and back and front of hands for 2 minutes, proceed to scrub the arms, keeping the hand higher than the arm at all times, wash each side of the arms from wrist to elbow for 1 minute, and repeat the process on the other arm. Rinse hands and arms by passing through water in one direction, dry hands, and rub 5 mL of alcohol into the palm of the hands, forearms and elbows. Ensure that the whole skin area on both arms is covered.
Sponsors
NYU Langone Health
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Orthopedic resident or surgical employee of NY U * Over 21 years of age * Procedural knowledge of correct aseptic scrub technique
Exclusion criteria
* No surgical experience * Under 21 years of age * Refusal to consent
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of positive cultures in each group | 1 day | Evaluated using a Students T-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed