Antibacterial Efficacy of Several Surgical Hand Preparation Products Used by Veterinary Students.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the antibacterial efficacy of different surgical hand antisepsis protocols used by veterinary students.


METHODS
Prospective, randomized, controlled study.


METHODS
Third year veterinary students (n=45).


METHODS
The participants were randomly assigned to 4 of the following 12 hand preparation product/time combinations: nonabrasive hand scrub method with 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (CH); hand rub with a mixture of 30% 1-propanol and 45% 2-propanol solution (MPS), 70% 2-propanol solution (IPS), or 61% ethanol solution with 1% chlorhexidine gluconate (ES/CH), with a contact time of 1.5, 3, or 5 minutes. Antibacterial efficacy was assessed after surgical hand preparation and at the end of surgery. Log reductions of total bacterial colony forming unit (CFU)/mL and positive aerobic culture rates were compared using multivariable analysis of variance and multivariable logistic regression, respectively.


RESULTS
After surgical hand preparation, CH and ES/CH provided significantly higher log CFU reduction and lower positive culture rate for Gram-positive and spore-forming bacteria compared to MPS and IPS. Increase in contact time did not provide significant improvement in bacterial reduction. At the end of surgery, ES/CH provided significantly higher log CFU reduction compared to IPS and lower positive culture rate for Gram-positive bacteria compared to CH, MPS, and IPS. Increase in contact time significantly improved log CFU reduction in ES/CH and MPS groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In our population of veterinary students ES/CH hand rubs or CH scrubs were more effective in reducing bacterial CFU during surgical hand preparation than MPS or IPS.
Departments of Companion Animal, Atlantic Veterinary Medicine, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Po-Yen
PY
Chou
Departments of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary Medicine, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Aimie J
AJ
Doyle
Departments of Companion Animal, Atlantic Veterinary Medicine, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Shiori
S
Arai
Departments of Companion Animal, Atlantic Veterinary Medicine, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Pierre J
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2711-8247
PJ
Burke
Departments of Companion Animal, Atlantic Veterinary Medicine, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Trina R
TR
Bailey
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology*; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013334:Students; D013522:Surgery, Veterinary; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents