The effect of blood on disinfection of surgeons' hands

Abstract

Abstract The effect on skin flora of spreading 2 ml of blood over the hands after a 2-minute disinfectant handwash and then wearing rubber gloves for an hour was assessed by a trial in which 6 volunteers used each of six preparations, once with blood and once, as a control experiment, with water on their hands. Bacterial counts of handwashings and of glove washings showed significant interference by blood with the effectiveness of povidone iodine detergent solution (Disadine). With a 3 per cent hexachlorophane detergent cream (Disfex) significant interference by blood was shown in bacterial counts of glove washings and a nearly significant interference was shown in counts of handwashings. There was no evidence of any interference by blood with the effectiveness of a 4 per cent chlorhexidine detergent solution (Hibiscrub) or a 3 per cent hexachlorophane liquid soap containing 0.3 per cent chlorocresol (Ster-Zac).