title: Surgical hand antisepsis in veterinary practice: evaluation of soap scrubs and alcohol based rub techniques.
abstract: Recent studies have shown that hydro-alcoholic solutions are more efficient than traditional medicated soaps in the pre-surgical hand antisepsis of human surgeons but there is little veterinary literature on the subject. The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of medicated soaps and a hydro-alcoholic solution prior to surgery using an in-use testing method in a veterinary setting. A preliminary trial was performed that compared the mean log(10) number of bacterial colony forming units (CFU) and the reduction factors (RF) between two 5-min hand-scrubbing sessions using different soaps, namely, povidone iodine (PVP) and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), and the 1.5-min application of a hydro-alcoholic rub. A clinical in-use trial was then used to compare the hydro-alcoholic rub and CHX in a surgical setting. Sampling was performed using finger printing on agar plates. The hydro-alcoholic rub and CHX had a similar immediate effect, although the sustained effect was significantly better for the hydro-alcoholic rub, while PVP had a significantly lower immediate and sustained effect. The hydro-alcoholic rub showed good efficiency in the clinical trial and could be considered as a useful alternative method for veterinary surgical hand antisepsis.
authors.affiliation: Equine Clinic, Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals and Equids, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Liege, Bld de Colonster 20 B41, 4000 Liege, Belgium. denis@proamhorses.eu
authors.forename: Denis R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Verwilghen
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mainil
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mastrocicco
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamaide
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Detilleux
authors.forename: Gaby
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Galen
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serteyn
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grulke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D000985:Antisepsis / Q000379:methods*; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006736:Horses / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D011206:Povidone-Iodine; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012915:Soaps; D013522:Surgery, Veterinary; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D012915:Soaps; C522448:ethylhexadecyldimethylammonium; D011206:Povidone-Iodine; C010882:chlorhexidine gluconate; D002710:Chlorhexidine