A study, published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, compared the antimicrobial activity of two hand hygiene products — ethanol plus chlorhexidine gluconate and ethanol only — when used in an intensive care unit.
Researchers conducted the prospective, randomized, double-blinded, crossover study in three ICUs at a large teaching hospital. Fifty-one healthcare workers were enrolled in the study. The workers were randomized 1:1 to either product. Researchers obtained hand prints immediately after the product was applied and again after spending four to seven minutes in the ICU common areas prior to entering a patient room or leaving the area.
The study shows ethanol plus CHG product use on bare hands was associated with significantly lower recovery of aerobic colony-forming units, both immediately after use and after spending time in ICU common areas. The ethanol plus CHG sanitizer was also associated with significantly lower aerobic bacterial counts on hands of healthcare workers as compared to the ethanol-only product.