Methods for Disinfection of Hands and Operation Sites

In previous studies we compared the relative value of alternative methods for disinfecting the hands of nurses and surgeons and the skin of operation sites, but a number of relevant questions were not considered. For disinfection of the operation site alcoholic solutions of chlorhexidine (0.5%) and iodine (1%) were found to be equally effective and superior to a number of other agents (Lowbury, Lilly, and Bull, 1960), but we did not include laurolinium acetate, which was later reported by Verd?n (1961) to be more effective than nine other antiseptic prepara tions, including 1 % iodine in alcohol ; nor did we examine the removal of spore-bearing organisms. In studies on the disinfection of hands we confirmed the cumulative effect of