2018 Volume 17 Pages 26-32
In a clinical situation, the behavior of wiping off water drops on a wash basin counter with a paper towel, which was used to dry hands after washing them, is routinely observed. There are various bacteria on the wash basin counter. So, the purpose of this study was to examine the possibility that fingers can be contaminated by the behavior of wiping off water drops, by measuring adenosine triphosphate (ATP) values. The ATP values are used as the indicator of bacterial contamination. This study consisted of 13 participants who were nursing students and teachers. The ATP values were measured on the surfaces of germfree gloves (palm, fingertip, between fingers), before and after wiping off water drops on a wash basin counter with a paper towel, after washing hands with running water, with the gloves on. We measured the difference between the ATP values before and after wiping and the relationship between the ATP values after wiping and the ATP values of the experimental environment and the number of paper towels used. The results revealed significant increase in the ATP values after wiping, on all parts of palm, fingertips, and between fingers, which indicated the possibility of contamination on the fingers caused by the behavior of wiping off water drops on a washbasin counter. No correlation was observed between the glove surface, the ATP values of the experimental environment, and the number of paper towels used. Furthermore, it was suggested that the behavior of wiping off water drops after washing hands can cause the risk of finger contamination.
