Bacterial contamination of anesthesiologists' hands and the efficacy of handwashing

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine bacterial contamination, especially by transient skin flora, that were on the hands of trainee and diplomate anesthesiologists during general anesthesia as well as to evaluate the efficacy of washing hands with running water or with three alcohol based antiseptic solutions using a modified glove juice method. The bacterial counts on the anesthesiolosists' hands were 3.21±0.66 [log10 (mean±SD)] during induction, 2.55±1.15 during maintenance of anesthesia, 2.67±1.10 during extubation and 3.57±0.74 at the end of anesthesia. The diplomates' hands were more contaminated than those of the trainees during both intubation and extubation. Washing hands with running water or antiseptic solutions was effective to reduce bacterial contamination, but there was no disinfectant effect of antiseptic solutions against the bacteria that adhered to the hands after drying those solutions. Therefore to prevent nosocomial infection, anesthesiologists should wash their hands with running water or the antiseptic solution after each contact.