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Delayed antimicrobial effects of skin disinfection by alcohol

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

H. A. Lilly ,
E. J. L. Lowbury ,
M. D. Wilkins  and
A. Zaggy
H. A. Lilly
Affiliation:
MRC Industrial Injuries and Burns Unit, Birmingham Accident Hospital
E. J. L. Lowbury
Affiliation:
MRC Industrial Injuries and Burns Unit, Birmingham Accident Hospital
M. D. Wilkins
Affiliation:
MRC Industrial Injuries and Burns Unit, Birmingham Accident Hospital
A. Zaggy
Affiliation:
MRC Industrial Injuries and Burns Unit, Birmingham Accident Hospital
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Aqueous suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus were deposited on a Millipore filter and then exposed for a few seconds to 70 % ethyl alcohol. Viable counts of bacteria extracted from the filter immediately after exposure to alcohol, and, in replicate experiments, after a further period of 3 h, showed that the mean immediate reduction of 97·6 % in viable counts after treatment with alcohol was followed by a further mean reduction of 67· 1 % in the further 3 h holding time; the same bacterial suspensions allowed to dry on Millipore filters without exposure to alcohol showed a significantly smaller mean reduction in viable counts (34·3 %) during a further 3 h holding time. These findings support the view that the reported further fall in numbers of bacteria on hands while wearing gloves for 3 h after alcohol disinfection can be explained by sublethal damage to some of the bacteria, from which they can recover only if promptly inoculated on culture medium.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 82 , Issue 3 , June 1979 , pp. 497 - 500
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

References

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