Patrick D R, Findon G, Miller T E
Department of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Epidemiol Infect. 1997 Dec;119(3):319-25. doi: 10.1017/s0950268897008261.
We report here a new and critical determinant of the effectiveness of hand hygiene procedures, namely the amount of residual moisture left on the hands after washing and drying. When samples of skin, food and utilities were touched with wet, undried hands, microbial numbers in the order of 68000, 31000 and 1900 respectively translocated to these representative surfaces. Bacterial numbers translocating on touch contact decreased progressively as drying with an air or cloth towel system removed residual moisture from the hands. A 10 s cloth towel-20 s air towel protocol reduced the bacterial numbers translocating to skin, food and utilities on touch contact to 140, 655 and 28 respectively and achieved a 99.8, 94 and 99% reduction in the level of bacterial translocation associated with wet hands. Careful hand drying is a critical factor determining the level of touch-contact-associated bacterial transfer after hand washing and its recognition could make a significant contribution towards improving handcare practices in clinical and public health sectors.
我们在此报告手部卫生程序有效性的一个新的关键决定因素，即洗手和擦干后手上残留的水分量。当用湿的、未擦干的手触摸皮肤、食物和公共设施样本时，分别有大约68000、31000和190个微生物转移到这些代表性表面。随着使用空气或布巾系统擦干手部去除了手上的残留水分，触摸时转移的细菌数量逐渐减少。10秒布巾 - 20秒气吹式擦干方案将触摸时转移到皮肤、食物和公共设施上的细菌数量分别减少到140、655和28，与湿手相关的细菌转移水平降低了99.8%、94%和99%。仔细擦干手部是决定洗手后触摸接触相关细菌转移水平的关键因素，认识到这一点可为改善临床和公共卫生领域的手部护理实践做出重大贡献。
