title: Glycerol significantly decreases the three hour efficacy of alcohol-based surgical hand rubs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glycerol in alcohol-based hand rubs has positive effects on skin condition and user acceptability, but, to the authors' knowledge, its effect on the bactericidal effect of alcohol-based pre-operative hand rubs has not been reported.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of glycerol on the reduction of resident hand flora by ethanol 80% (w/w), isopropanol 75% (w/w) and n-propanol 60% (V/V).
  
  
  METHODS
  In three series of in-vivo laboratory tests on volunteers hands, the efficacy of each of three alcohol-based formulations was tested concurrently with and without added glycerol 1.45% (V/V) according to European Norm EN 12791 for testing pre-operative hand rubs. Formulations were allotted at random to 24 volunteers to rub on to their hands for 3 min. Viable counts from fingertip samples were compared with the respective pretreatment counts immediately after treatment and 3 h later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 3-h bactericidal effects of the three pure alcoholic formulations were significantly greater than those of formulations containing glycerol (P < 0.01). With ethanol, this was also true for the immediate effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Glycerol 1.45% (V/V) inhibits the bactericidal efficacy of alcohol-based surgical hand rubs, especially sustained efficacy.
authors: Institute of Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. miranda.suchomel@meduniwien.ac.at
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Suchomel
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Rotter
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Weinlich
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kundi
mesh_terms: D000433:1-Propanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019840:2-Propanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004336:Drug Antagonism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005990:Glycerol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D000431:Ethanol; D000433:1-Propanol; D019840:2-Propanol; D005990:Glycerol