Alcohol-based hand sanitizers (or "hand rubs") are the only products which prove effective against MRSA and other "bad bacteria" or microbials, says Mike Osterholm, Director of the Infectious Disease Research & Policy Center at the University of Minnesota, in a radio interview with WCCO's Steve Murphy on Oct. 17.
Osterholm went on to state that these hand sanitizers are superior to antibacterial hand soaps on two fronts:
- Antibacterial hand soaps do NOT kill microbials, and encourage mutation into "super staph bugs" which are increasingly immune to antibiotics. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not, since the active ingredient is alcohol, not antibacterial chemicals.
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizers contain moisturizers, which prevent skin cracking. Skin cracking is considered a breeding ground for microbials, and is a common side effect of frequent use of antibacterial hand soaps, most of which do not include moisturizers.
Osterholm stated his concern at the increase of serious MRSA infections obtained by patients in medical facilities by medical personnel who do not frequently wash their hands. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, see link below), MRSA caused more than 94,000 life-threatening infections and almost 19,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2005, most of which were associated with health care settings.
This potentially dangerous situation demands action. And, given the facts, the answer seems clear:
Medical facilities need alcohol-based hand sanitizers
in CONVENIENT, ECONOMICAL and
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
formulations and delivery systems.
