An Evaluation of the Residual Activity of Antiseptic Handrub Lotions: An ‘In Use’ Setting Study

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An evaluation of the residual activity of quick-drying agents (alcoholic solutions) used for hygienic hand disinfection is described. We looked for residual efficacy following hand disinfection with soap and water alone or followed by one of two alcoholic handrub lotions supplied from an automatic hand washing machine. The bacterial counts on the hands obtained before and within 2 successive hours after disinfection showed that alcoholic chlorhexidine was the most effective for 10 minutes after contamination of the hands. WELPAS (alcoholic chlorbenzarconium) followed this in its immediate effect and was better than soap and water alone. There were no significant differences after 30' or 120' between the three disinfecting methods.