Hand Sanitizers

[thegooddr]

Afternoon all,



Below is a link to a page from the latest edition of the CDCs Emerging Infectious Disease journal:-



http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no03/05-0955.htm



In it they look at the percentage of alcohol in hand sanitizers and the
effect on reducing bacteria from the hand. Bottom line is that
some cheap sanitizers have too little alcohol in them and they are not
very effective. Just wanted to bring this to peoples
attention. I don't use them myself as i have not found a good
supplier of them in Ireland, but we do use a 75% ethanol spray in the
lab to spray on the outside of our gloves when we need to sterilize
them.



Iain

[purpleteacher]

I use it all the time and use name brands so I know the quality of what I'm getting. Hand santizer is very easy to get in the USA and I don't leave home without it! I have little bottles of it in my bags and a big container of it right beside my bed. Speaking of sanitizer, I used it right before getting on my computer 10 minutes ago


Edited to add: Mybottles (two different brands) both have 62% of the active ingredient recommended. I see both of these brands regularly in schools too.Edited by: purpleteacher

[gubba]

Iain...what kind of Dr. are you? What kind of lab?

[willow2]

i used to use hand sanitisers a lot and I don't think they are bad but i just want to say to poeple who do use them alot - don't get silly with them. I ended up with a horrible skin condition on my hand because of it. The sanitiser killed all the immunity i have in my skin ....not only was it really really ugly but it was so incredibly itchy and it bleed a lot and was really painful, i couldn't use my hands properly. it's taken a couple fo montsh and fianlly i think they are on the mend. just to say that they do have negative sides. i know i would be thinking 'i'd way rather have bad skin than v*' and i agree i just don't think it is necessary to use them all the time.

[thegooddr]

gubba,



I have had my PhD for 10 years and have spent the past 13 years looking
at new type of vaccines against viral diseases. I currently work
in a university lab where I am still working on vaccines. My PhD
was in immunology/vaccinology and I also get to teach immunology,
particularly immune evasion of viral infection.



Iain

[kfitz]

Hi Iain


That sounds very interesting, i am currently doing my BSc in Equine Veterinary science.


So i take it u know alot about the transmission of sv's?


How long have u ad this phobia and how long have u not v* for?

[thegooddr]

kath,



Where are you doing your BSc, I did my PhD at Royal Veterinary College
and IAH Compton. I have had the phobia for around 20 years, which
was the last time I v* with a bad sv, I almost choked when I was v* and
so I have had the phobia since, probably not emetophobia, but a fear of
dieing whilst I am doing it. I have had a few v* episodes since
because of drink (there was the famous litre of whisky episode, but
maybe I will tell that story another time [img]smileys/smilies_09.gif[/img]), but it doesn't seem to be so bad those times because I am usually comatose at the time.



Iain



P.S. Last time I v* through drink was 8 years ago, I hardly ever drink anymore, or maybe more tolerant of it.

[kfitz]

Iain


I'm doing my degree at The Royal Veterinary College University of London, i am on my year placement at the minuteat Lyndhusrt Equine hospital where i will hopefully be awarded my BVSc.


Thats a long time i am 23 and have had it 12 years, unfortunately!!! It has such a dominance over my life i hate it, i honestly do think about it every minute of the day, the only thing that takes my mind off it is showjumping my horse and thats for only 3 or 4 minutes, do you think any treatments will help? it drives my mum mad, she doesnt understand, she feels that the reason i am so scared is because i must have had a bad experience from it when i was young and now i asociate being sick with a bad feeling. Any helpful suggestions?

[thegooddr]

best suggestion i can give is read the posts here and talk to the
others on the board, there are a lot of us here in exactly the same
position.



Iain

[japa]

It definitely sounds counterproductive to ruin your skin's own immuno defenses and to make yourself bleed so that you have open wounds for bacteria to infect. Hope people read what you wrote and take it to heart.

i used to use hand sanitisers a lot and I don't think they are bad but i just want to say to poeple who do use them alot - don't get silly with them. I ended up with a horrible skin condition on my hand because of it. The sanitiser killed all the immunity i have in my skin ....not only was it really really ugly but it was so incredibly itchy and it bleed a lot and was really painful, i couldn't use my hands properly. it's taken a couple fo montsh and fianlly i think they are on the mend. just to say that they do have negative sides. i know i would be thinking 'i'd way rather have bad skin than v*' and i agree i just don't think it is necessary to use them all the time.

[madisonsmom]

Iain,


Wow...what an interesting career. I am a registered nurse and would love to go into research. What you are doing is something that I have wanted to do.


Awesome[img]smileys/smilies_39.gif[/img]

[samara's on tv]

My sister told me that hand sanitizers don't really work cause they can build up a film on your hands or something and they actually keep MORE germs on your hands....or something like that. She said the best way to get rid of germs is to wash yours hands with regular soap and water. I stopped using hand sanitizers when she told me that, is that true?


~Monica

[blondie90]

Madisonsmom,


I'm going to school to be an RN. How did you do in school? I find myself struggling a lot with biology. And, do you like your job? It seems like a challenge but I think I'll enjoy it!


Kristina

[purpleteacher]

It definitely sounds counterproductive to ruin your skin's own immuno defenses and to make yourself bleed so that you have open wounds for bacteria to infect. Hope people read what you wrote and take it to heart.

i used to use hand sanitisers a lot and I don't think they are bad but i just want to say to poeple who do use them alot - don't get silly with them. I ended up with a horrible skin condition on my hand because of it. The sanitiser killed all the immunity i have in my skin ....not only was it really really ugly but it was so incredibly itchy and it bleed a lot and was really painful, i couldn't use my hands properly. it's taken a couple fo montsh and fianlly i think they are on the mend. just to say that they do have negative sides. i know i would be thinking 'i'd way rather have bad skin than v*' and i agree i just don't think it is necessary to use them all the time.

I get that sometimes too - my hands get chapped, but I get that from not drying my hands properly. My hands would break out, bleed, hurt, and look likeI had some contagious disease. It is always the worst in the winter months...


I don't use the sanitizer all the time. I use it when I can't get to the sink to wash my hands, like after I know I have had a sick kid in my classroom and want to wash my hands because I have handled something of theirs. I try and not use it multiple times in a row because it isn't as effective (from whatnurses have told me). I also use it when the bathroom is out of soap. I use it between washings and my job doesn't allow for many bathroom breaks, so having the sanitizer is a life saver for me!!!

[nikki.l]

At all the hospitals that I've done clinical rotations in so farthere have been Purell stations for sanitizing...so I'm going to assume (hopefully this is not *wishful thinking*) that Purell is good enough to get the job done.


Madisonmom, what area of nursing do you work in? When I graduate in December I'm looking to go into labor and delivery.


Nikki

[thegooddr]

Hand sanitizers work *best* on clean hands. If you have really dirty hands then there is the chance that you will just push the bugs around. If you wash your hands first and get rid of a fair proportion of the bugs and then use hand sanitizers then you will have very clean hands. I do say that is the *best* way they work, if you can't wash your hands and that is all you have to clean them then go for it, just make sure you get a good amount of it on your hands and really work it in. As someone said on here a few posts ago, their sanitizer is 62% active ingredient (ie alcohol) - that is going to work good, don't go for anything with less active ingredient.


Iain

[blondie90]

Nikki,


I'm interested in being a labor and delivery nurse too! I still have three years to go but that's definitely the field I'd like to get into. Keep me updated on how things go!


Kristina

[madisonsmom]

Nikki,


I have mainly been in administration - Director of Nursing...AKA the bad guy[img]smileys/smilies_32.gif[/img] I have done rehab nursing which is VERY boring. I have done med-surg and geriatrics also. I would love to do labor and delivery too. But I am taking a break right now. I am doing a little agency nursing here and there. I am thinking of taking classes to get my masters degree...I dont have too many to take. I would love to teach nursing part time and go into research.Edited by: madisonsmom