title: Comparison of hand hygiene antimicrobial efficacy: Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil versus triclosan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hand hygiene performed with two different soap formulations: 0.3% Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil versus 0.5% triclosan, and to compare them with two reference hygiene procedures: the official methodology procedure (soft soap) versus the draft version of the procedure (soft soap + propan-2-ol).
  
  
  METHODS
  using the European EN 1499 method, logarithmic reduction factors were determined for the number of colony forming units of Escherichia coli K12 before and after hand hygiene of 15 volunteer subjects, and compared using the one-tailed Wilcoxon test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  referring to the soft soap, there was no difference between the performance of soap with 0.3% M. alternifolia and soap containing 0.5% triclosan. The soft soap + propan-2-ol proved to be more effective than the other hand hygiene procedures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  studies to verify the therapeutic efficacy of essential oil in hand hygiene can improve adherence to this practice.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitário, Universidade de São Paulo, São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Rizzo
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gnatta
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia Morais Gomes
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitário, Universidade de São Paulo, São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Quartim de Moraes
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Bruna
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael Queiroz de
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kazuko Uchikawa
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Graziano
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, São PauloSP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Julia Paes da
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D063373:Hand Hygiene / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012915:Soaps; D020947:Tea Tree Oil; D014260:Triclosan; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D012915:Soaps; D014260:Triclosan; D020947:Tea Tree Oil