Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon, South Korea.
Department of Nursing, Woosong College, Daejeon, South Korea.
Int J Clin Pract. 2021 Aug;75(8):e14206. doi: 10.1111/ijcp.14206. Epub 2021 Jun 6.
Hand hygiene is paramount in preventing healthcare-associated infections in medical environments and the spread of infectious diseases in non-medical environments.
This study used a randomised controlled trial to investigate the effects of a tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil disinfectant on hand disinfection and skin condition.
A tea tree oil group received 5 mL of 10% tea tree oil disinfectant mixed in a ratio of 2:2:1:15 of Melaleuca alternifolia oil, solubiliser, glycerin and sterile distilled water. Data collection took place between April 9 and April 13, 2018. The subjects were 112 healthy adults. An alcohol group received 2 mL of a gel-type hand sanitiser comprising 83% ethanol used without water; a benzalkonium chloride group received 0.8 mL of a foam-type hand sanitiser containing benzalkonium chloride used without water and a control group received no treatment. Subjective skin condition, transepidermal water loss and adenosine triphosphate were assessed, and a microbial culture test was performed following treatment.
The general characteristics and the pretreatment dependent variables did not differ significantly by group. Posttreatment adenosine triphosphate log values significantly differed across all four groups (F = 3.23, P = .025). Similarly, posttreatment bacterial density log values differed significantly across the tea tree oil, alcohol, benzalkonium chloride and control groups (F = 91.71, P < .001).
The study confirmed that tea tree oil disinfectant is effective for hand disinfection. Accordingly, tea tree oil disinfectants may be introduced to nursing practice as a new hand hygiene product to prevent and reduce healthcare-associated infections.
在医疗环境中，手部卫生对于预防医源性感染和非医疗环境中传染病的传播至关重要。
本研究采用随机对照试验，调查茶树（Melaleuca alternifolia）油消毒剂对手部消毒和皮肤状况的影响。
茶树油组接受 5 毫升 10%茶树油消毒剂，混合比为茶树油、溶剂、甘油和无菌蒸馏水的 2:2:1:15。数据收集于 2018 年 4 月 9 日至 4 月 13 日进行。受试者为 112 名健康成年人。酒精组使用 2 毫升凝胶型手部消毒剂，包含 83%乙醇，无需加水；苯扎氯铵组使用 0.8 毫升泡沫型手部消毒剂，包含苯扎氯铵，无需加水；对照组不接受任何处理。治疗后评估主观皮肤状况、经皮水分流失和三磷酸腺苷，并进行微生物培养试验。
各组的一般特征和预处理依赖变量无显著差异。所有四组的治疗后三磷酸腺苷对数值均有显著差异（F=3.23，P=0.025）。同样，茶树油、酒精、苯扎氯铵和对照组的治疗后细菌密度对数值也有显著差异（F=91.71，P<0.001）。
本研究证实茶树油消毒剂对手部消毒有效。因此，茶树油消毒剂可作为一种新的手部卫生产品引入护理实践，以预防和减少医源性感染。
