Not to burst your bubbles, but if you are using an antibacterial hand soap at home for health reasons, it is probably unnecessary.
Dr. Gary Noskin, an infectious disease physician and researcher at Northwestern University Medical School, said research shows the friction of rubbing your hands together with soap and water is adequate for removing almost all germs that can cause disease.
“There is actually a `normal flora’ on the skin for protection against germs,” he said. “You are better off to keep it there. Some antibacterial soaps will remove it; then your body has to reproduce it.”
Antibacterial soaps also generally are more expensive, don’t work any better on viruses (notably those causing the common cold) than regular soaps, and can chafe more sensitive skin, especially if you wash your hands frequently.
“Chapping the hands is a problem because cracks in the skin allow openings for the bacteria to enter the body,” Noskin said. “You are better off using milder soap and washing more often. In fact, the harsher soaps seem to give people an excuse not to wash their hands enough.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta doesn’t even recommend antibacterial soaps for all hospital use, though hand washing with soap and water at the beginning of shifts and between patients is clearly advised. The special soaps are suggested more for high-risk patients who are greatly susceptible to any sort of infection.
Using only water to wash hands is not as effective, said Dr. Burton Andersen, chief of infectious diseases at University of Illinois-Chicago Medical Center.
“Soap tends to break up the fats, greases and oils on your hands that can trap bacteria and viruses if not regularly washed,” he said.
Thoroughly rubbing and scrubbing for a good half-minute is a good habit to start. Noskin and Northwestern colleagues conducted a recent study that showed 30 seconds was an effective time for hospital workers to remove enterococci bacteria from the hands. Washing with only water for five seconds was no different in bacteria removal than not washing, while washing for only five seconds with soap eliminated some but not nearly all of the infectious bacteria.
Anderson said paper towels, a sterile cloth roll or blowing air are equally good methods of drying the hands in public restrooms. He suggested that cloth towels and washcloths at home not be shared, and that bath linens be washed once a week to protect against bacteria buildup.
Another caution: Studies show doorknobs, counter tops and even telephones can carry germs for a long time. While you can control the cleanliness of your home, exercise judgment in public places.
While washing hands for good health is common sense, a surprising number of doctors, nurses and other health professionals are not consistently attentive to the detail. In fact, the numbers are a bit alarming.
“Hand washing is the simplest and most effective way to prevent hospital-acquired infections,” said Noskin, “yet there is only about 50 percent compliance among doctors, nurses and other medical staff.”
A major Georgetown University study put the figure closer to 40 percent. Another experiment showed nurses estimate they appropriately wash their hands 90 percent of time, while researchers’ observations indicated it was more like 30 percent.
According to CDC data, between 5 and 10 percent of all patients in U.S. hospitals will develop some form of hospital-acquired infection during their stay, or about 1.75 million to 3.5 million Americans each year. About 80,000 to 150,000 people die from infections they didn’t have before entering the hospital.
Experts estimate about half the infections could be avoided.
Noskin said one strategy gleaned from research is that if hand washing is more convenient, doctors and nurses will do it more often. Consequently, new sinks have been installed in the corridors of Northwestern’s medical facilities.
Andersen said UIC has used signs, lectures and badges with dirty hands to remind medical personnel of this public-health measure.
“We even `spy’ on doctors and nurses sometimes,” he said. “We might stand in a place like the intensive care unit to see if they are washing their hands enough.”
