Viljoen et al: Comparative antimicrobial efficacy of 4 surgical hand‐preparation procedures prior to application of an alcohol-based hand rub in veterinary students
Veterinary Surgery 3, 2022

🔍 Key Findings

• Pre-ABHR hand preparation lowered CFUs at 120 minutes post-gloving compared to ABHR alone (P = .001)
• pH-neutral soap followed by ABHR outperformed ABHR alone despite being nonmedicated (P = .001)
• CHX and BAC prewashes showed better immediate CFU reduction post-preparation than pHN (P = .012)
• No significant difference in total log10 CFU reduction across all four groups over the full surgical period (P = .362)
• Glove perforation in the thumb was a significant contamination factor (P = .036)
• All dogs recovered without surgical site infections, though SSI incidence was not a primary outcome
• Neutralizer validation lacking, so CHX results interpreted cautiously
• Study supports a 1-minute hand wash with pH-neutral soap prior to ABHR as effective and safe