title: Assessment of exposure to ethanol vapors released during use of Alcohol-Based Hand Rubs by healthcare workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the increasing use of Alcohol-Based Hand Rub solutions, few studies have quantified the concentrations of inhaled ethanol.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess ethanol exposure during hygienic and surgical hand disinfection practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ethanol concentrations were measured at the nose level of a wooden dummy and human volunteers. Two systems were used in parallel to determine short-term ethanol vapor exposures: activated charcoal tubes followed by gas chromatography analysis and direct reading on a photoionization detector (PID). Exposure was assessed for 4 different sequences (N=10) reproducing hand rubs for simple surgery, nursing care, intensive care and surgical scrub.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ethanol concentrations measured were of a similar order between the dummy and volunteers. The concentrations obtained by PID were higher than the gas chromatography values for the simple care (45%) and nursing care (27%) sequences and reflected specific exposure peaks of ethanol, whereas ethanol concentrations were continuously high for intensive care (440 mg m(-3)) or surgical scrub (650 mg m(-3)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ethanol concentrations were similar for these two exposure assessment methods and demonstrated a relationship between handled doses and inhaled doses. However, the ethanol vapors released during hand disinfection were safe for the healthcare workers.
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control, University Hospital of Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hautemanière
authors.forename: Lisiane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cunat
authors.forename: Djihane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ahmed-Lecheheb
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hajjard
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gerardin
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morele
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hartemann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol