title: Antibacterial effects on dry-fast and traditional water-based surgical scrubbing methods: a two-time points experimental study.
abstract: This study determined the in-use effects of dry-fast and traditional hand-washing surgical scrubs among operating room staff members. This is a static group comparison study with purposive sampling. A total of 156 staff members were recruited in an operating room in a medical center located in southern Taiwan. The participants were divided into traditional and dry-fast hand-washing groups. Microbial counts were measured right after the two groups finished surgical scrubbing and at the completion of surgery. The results showed that the use of dry-fast antisepsis has a better persistent effect (P = 0.001), more nurses chose dry-fast antisepsis than surgeons (P = 0.012), and the post-operation number of colonies for nurses was significantly higher than that for surgeons (P = 0.003). Operating room nurses are long-term and frequent users of antibacterial agents, and their requirement of skin protection is higher. The dry-fast technique has the advantage of being less irritating to the skin and less time consuming; therefore, brush-free and dry-fast antisepsis is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, KaoHsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chuan-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Jui-Chen
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ya-Fen
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yur-Ren
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Li-Yu
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000985:Antisepsis / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology*; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D058427:Hygroscopic Agents; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000379:methods*; D010820:Physicians; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D058427:Hygroscopic Agents
keywords: Taiwan infection control; antisepsis; operating room; surgical hand scrubbing