A new alcohol solution (N-duopropenide) for hygienic (or routine) hand disinfection is more useful than classic handwashing: in vitro and in vivo studies in burn and other intensive care units

Introduction: Standard handwashing is a key measure for the prevention of c rossed nosocomial infection, but this measure is not always observed. We st udy whether fast disinfection with an alcohol solution is better than handw ashing and whether it can enhance observance. Materials and methods: The ef fects of several alcohol solutions on native and acquired microbiota are co mpared with classic handwashing in 'in vitro' and 'in vivo' (health volunte ers) quantitative tests. A field assay was subsequently performed in severe ly ill patient intensive care units (ICUs) (Burn and other ICUs), using a s emiquantitative method to compare the effects of disinfection with standard handwashing (n = 102) with N-duopropenide alcohol application (n = 264). R esults and discussion: In both designs - health volunteers and hospital war d teams - we found significant differences between handwashing and N-duopro penide application. Handwashing barely modified the native or acquired micr obiota (only 0.1 to < 2 log(10) reduction) and did not eliminate Staphyloco ccus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria (from 34 to 23%: P > 0.05). However, N-duopropenide reduced the acquired microbiota by 5 log(10) and the native hand microbiota by more than 2 log(10), as well as significantly reducing S. aureus and Gram-negative bacteria (33-1.3%; P < 0.01). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.