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A small amount of hand sanitizer in the palm of your hand, followed by a quick rub of the hands, and you are 99.9% germ-free … or at least we thought so.
According to a new study conducted by the University Hospital Basel, we have misapplied the hand sanitizer, which suggests that it is effective only if it is applied thoroughly for 15 seconds.
This may seem a little absurd, but it is half as complex as the World Health Organization (WHO) opinion, which recommends applying the gel in a complex process in six 30-second steps. Research has found that 15 seconds are as effective as 30 minutes to reduce the number of bacteria.
WHO's six-step process includes the following elements:
1. Apply a quantity of gel "full palm".
2. Rub hands palm to palm before placing the right on the left and intertwined fingers.
3. Repeat with the left hand on the right.
4. Rub palms with intertwined fingers.
5. Rub the back of the fingers against the opposite palms and thumb. Continue until your hands are perfectly dry and "safe".
To determine if this long process is necessary, the team of researchers asked 20 volunteers aged 18 to 51 years to apply a hand sanitizer according to four techniques.
The first group followed the WHO diet for 30 seconds, the second group completed the same process, but for 15 seconds, the third group followed a three-step process for 30 seconds and the fourth group completed the same process in three steps for 15 seconds. .
After each application, the researchers badyzed the number of bacteria on the participants' hands.
The results showed that the two 15-second methods (the second and fourth methods) were as effective at reducing the number of bacteria as the 30-second rubs (first and third methods).
The researchers hope the results will help provide positive information to health care workers.
"Time constraints and heavy workloads of health workers reduce compliance with hand hygiene standards," said Dr. Tschudin-Sutter, lead author of the study, the Department of Infectious Diseases and Disease. hospital hygiene at the University Hospital Basel.
"Our findings suggest to shorten the time of hand rub and simplify the technique of using disinfectants could be a safe alternative, easier to integrate into their busy routine, could improve the overall quality of performance in terms of Hand hygiene and have a positive effect on compliance. "
The results are also a good reminder for office workers. According to a Dettol infographic, the office is on average 400 times dirtier than a toilet seat, a computer keyboard houses 7500 bacteria and the hands of an office worker are in contact with 10 million bacteria per day.
However, the researchers warned that the tests in the study were done in the laboratory and that the results may differ in others.
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