Use of Ethanol-Based Hand Rub Foams in The Clinical Setting

Abstract

  Alcohol-based hand rubs are recommended for use by healthcare staff worldwide. In addition to gel and liquid rubs, ethanol-based foam is available for hand hygiene. Ethanol-based foam was launched as the first alcohol-based foaming hand rub available in Japan in June 2011. Ethanol-based foam has gained attention among healthcare staff because ethanol-based foam does not drip from the hands, and allows good visual coverage. This study compared the effectiveness of ethanol-based gel and foam for bacterial removal and the percentage of areas covered with gel or foam. The Parm-Stamp Test was used to prove that ethanol-based foam has the same efficacy against bacteria as gel. To examine if the hands were fully covered with gel or foam, we used the Black Lights device and fluorescence powder. The results showed that the ethanol-based foam provided significantly improved coverage compared with the gel. According to the questionnaire results, ethanol-based foam has a lot of unique benefits, such as no dripping, easy spreading, good visual coverage, and no sticky feeling. Due to the effective cleaning with excellent skin feel during and after use, ethanol-based hand rub foam is very useful in the clinical setting for hand hygiene among healthcare workers.