title: Hand hygiene using a new hand-cleansing formulation without sanitizers: Effect on Staphylococcus aureus removal and recovery of properties against skin damage.
abstract: Staphylococcus aureus is known to form a biofilm and colonize on damaged skin of the hands. We investigated changes in the quantity of S aureus on the hands and changes in skin damage when using a hand-cleansing formulation with potassium oleate but without a sanitizer (formulation A), which is highly effective in removing S aureus biofilm and causes minimal skin damage.
  
  
  
  The participants (14 medical staff members) used 2 types of hand-cleansing formulations (formulations A and B), each for 4 weeks. S aureus of the hands was cultured from swab samples on agar plates. Surface of hands was measured using an ultraviolet light microscope.
  
  
  
  The quantity of S aureus after using formulation A for 4 weeks was 10(1.08 ± 0.05) CFU/mL, a statistically significant decrease from the quantity of S aureus (10(1.59 ± 0.19) CFU/mL) just before use (P = .029). Also, dryness of hand surfaces decreased. With formulation B, the quantity of S aureus did not significantly change from before to after use (P > .05). This presumably occurs because formulation A gently removes S aureus biofilm.
  
  
  
  Formulation A removed S aureus from the hands of participants, and skin damage on the hands improved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai City, Miyagi, Japan; Department of Research and Development, Household Laboratory, Kao Corporation, Wakayama City, Wakayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asaoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai City, Miyagi, Japan. Electronic address: ain@med.tohoku.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai City, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Health Services Facility "Cosmos", Sendai City, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komuro
authors.affiliation: Izumi Orthopedic Hospital, Sendai City, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection Control and Laboratory Diagnostics, Internal Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai City, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaku
mesh_terms: D004202:Disinfectants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D063373:Hand Hygiene / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011188:Potassium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D019301:Oleic Acid; D011188:Potassium
keywords: Biofilm; Potassium oleate; The surface evaluation of scaliness