Alcohol rub 3829190 224891865 2008-07-10T21:38:05Z Benea 4456044 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 224883248 by [[Special:Contributions/68.45.219.63|68.45.219.63]] ([[User talk:68.45.219.63|talk]]) [[Image:Hand_sanitizer_with_aloe.jpg|thumb|One of many brands of alcohol gel, which is a type of alcohol rub]] An '''alcohol rub''', also known as a '''hand sanitizer''' or '''healthcare personnel hand wash''' is used as a supplement or alternative to [[hand washing]] with soap and water. The [[active ingredient]] in alcohol rubs may be [[Isopropyl alcohol|isopropanol]], [[ethanol]], or (in Europe) [[Propan-1-ol|n-propanol]]. A variety of preparations are available, including gels, foam and liquid solutions. Hand sanitizers containing alcohol are more effective at killing germs than soaps and do not dry out hands as much as soaps.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/pdf/AlcoholHandRub061013.pdf| title = Alcohol Hand Rub and Hand Hygiene| accessdate = 2007-05-18| publisher = Clinical Excellence Commission, Health, New South Wales, Australia}}</ref> Inactive ingredients in alcohol rubs typically include a [[thickening agent]] such as [[Carbomer]] (a trade name for [[polyacrylic acid]]), and [[humectant]]s such as [[glycerin]] and [[propylene glycol]]. ==Uses== When hands are not visibly dirty, the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] considers alcohol hand sanitizers as an acceptable alternative to soap and water for hand hygiene.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/faq/hand.htm| title = Hand Hygiene FAQ| accessdate = 2007-02-01| publisher = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref> Alcohol concentration must be above 60% for alcohol rubs to be effective in killing [[microorganism|microbes]]. Researchers at [[East Tennessee State University]] found that products with alcohol concentrations as low as 40% are available in American stores.<ref> {{cite journal | last =Reynolds | first =Scott A. | authorlink = | coauthors =Foster Levy and Elaine S. Walker | title =Hand Sanitizer Alert | journal =Emerging Infectious Diseases | volume =12 | issue =3 | pages = | publisher =Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | date =March 2006 | url =http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no03/05-0955.htm | doi = | id = | accessdate =2007-02-02 }} </ref> The optimum alcohol concentration to kill germs is 70 to 95 %. Alcohol gels containing 62 v/v % alcohol are less effective germ killers than alcohol rubs containing at least 70 wt/wt % alcohol.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.learnwell.org//handhygiene.htm |title = Hand Hygiene for Healthcare Workers | accessdate = 2007-04-27| publisher = LearnWell Resources, Inc, a California nonprofit public benefit 501(c)(3) corporation}}</ref><ref> {{cite journal | last =Kramer | first =Axel | authorlink = | coauthors =Peter Rudolph Gonter Kampf Didier Pittet | title =Limited efficacy of alcohol-based hand gels | journal =Lancet | volume =359 | issue =April 27 | pages =1489–1490 | publisher =THE LANCET | date =2002 | accessdate =2007-04-30 | doi =10.1016/S0140-6736(02)08426-X }} </ref><ref> {{cite journal | last =Pietsch | first =Hanns | authorlink = | title =Hand Antiseptics: Rubs Versus Scrubs, Alcoholic Solutions Versus Alcoholic Gels | journal =J. Hospital Infection | volume =48 | issue =Supl A | pages =S33–S36 | publisher =Hospital Infection Society | date =2001 | accessdate =2007-04-30 | doi =10.1016/S0195-6701(01)90010-6 }} </ref> Alcohol rubs containing two different germ killers (i.e. alcohol and [[benzalkonium chloride]]) are significantly more effective than alcohol alone.<ref> {{cite journal | last =Hibbard | first =John S. | authorlink = | title =Analyses Comparing the Antimicrobial Activity and Safety of Current Antiseptic Agents | journal =J. Infusion Nursing | volume =28 | issue =3 | pages =194–207 | publisher =Infusion Nurses Society | date =May/June 2005 | accessdate =2007-04-27 }} </ref> Most alcohol rub formulations include a moisturizer to keep hands from drying out. ==Effectiveness== Alcohol rubs kill many different kinds of bacteria, including [[antibiotic resistant]] bacteria and [[TB]] bacteria. Alcohol rubs [[Viricide|inactivate]] many different kinds of viruses, including the [[flu virus]] and the common [[cold virus]]. Alcohol rubs also kill fungus. Not all pathogens are equally susceptible. Certain bacteria, especially the spore-forming gram positives (e.g. [[Clostridium difficile]]) are relatively resistant and remain biologically viable. During the [[Anthrax]] attacks on the United States Postal Service, authorities warned that alcohol hand rubs would not kill anthrax spores. In environments with high lipids or protein waste (such as food processing), the use of alcohol hand rubs alone may not be sufficient to ensure proper hand hygiene. ==Safety== Alcohol gel can catch fire, producing a dim blue flame. This is due to the [[flammable]] [[alcohol]] in the gel. Some hand sanitizer gels may not produce this effect due to a high concentration of water or moisturizing agents. There have been some rare instances where alcohol hand gels have been implicated in starting fires, including a case where static electricity ignited the gel.{{Fact|date=March 2008}} To minimize the risk of fire, users are instructed to rub their hands until dry, which indicates that the flammable alcohol has evaporated.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/firesafety/default.htm| title = Alcohol-Based Hand-Rubs and Fire Safety| accessdate = 2007-04-26| publisher = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref> It has been also noted that if ingested it can cause alcohol poisoning in small children.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/health/news-article.aspx?storyid=84913| title = Hand Sanitizers Could Be A Dangerous Poison To Unsupervised Children| accessdate = 2007-07-15| publisher = NBC News Channel}}</ref> In the US alone, there have been more than 12,000 cases of children ingesting hand gels. [http://video.msn.com/v/us/fv/msnbc/fv.htm??g=ba833fa6-5a03-4659-b6ff-aae615f86fc5&f=00&fg] ==Image gallery== <gallery> Image:Liquid Alcohol Rub.jpg|Alcohol liquid &ndash; a type of alcohol rub Image:A bottle of alcohol gel - no label.JPG|Colourless alcohol gel </gallery> == Sources == <!--<nowiki> See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref> and </ref> tags, and the template below. </nowiki>--> {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.handhygiene.net/hand_antisepsis.html Importance of using hand antiseptic product in healthcare enviornment] Learn proper technique for applying alcohol-based rub on your hands. [[Category:Medical hygiene]] [[Category:Antiseptics]]