Alcohol Based Solution and Standard Handwashing Essay

Alcohol Based Solution and Standard Handwashing - Essay Example It concluded that hand-rubbing with liquid aqueous alcoholic solution could be safely used as an alternative to traditional hand-scrubbing in surgical practices. 2. The research done by Girou, et al. at 3 intensive care units in a university hospital in France, 12 healthcare workers were allocated to hand-rubbing with a waterless alcohol based solution and 11 were allocated to hand-washing with antiseptic soap. It concluded that the median percentage reduction in bacterial contamination with hand-rubbing was significantly higher than with hand-washing. 3. Research conducted by Karabay, et al. 35 nurses were randomly selected from a nursing staff of 141 and divided into 2 groups: hand rubbing and hand washing. Hand rubbing with alcohol-based solutions significantly reduced the bacterial contamination of the hands of the nurses more than hand washing with an antimicrobial soap. Compliance was also better in the hand rubbing group than in the hand washing group. While framing our hypothesis we should consider the objective of our research. The purpose of this research is to compare hand-hygiene and skin condition after hand-rubbing with an alcohol based solution or washing our hands with an antiseptic soap. So, the primary object of our comparison would be 'hand-hygiene'. To measure hand-hygiene, we make a natural assumption that "Hands with lesser bacterial contamination are more hygienic". ... So, the primary object of our comparison would be 'hand-hygiene'. To measure hand-hygiene, we make a natural assumption that "Hands with lesser bacterial contamination are more hygienic". Therefore we frame the following hypothesis as our 'Null Hypothesis'. H0: The median percentage reduction in bacterial contamination using Alcohol Based Solution (ABS) is greater than that with hand-washing with liquid soap solution (LSS). i.e. H0: MeABS > MeLSS Our 'Null Hypothesis', in simpler words states that by using Alcohol Based Solutions we kill more bacteria on our hands and achieve disinfection better than liquid soap solutions. Our 'Null Hypothesis' thus assumes the objective of our research to be true. So, in a similar manner we can also state our 'Alternative Hypothesis' as: Ha: The median percentage reduction in bacterial contamination using Alcohol Based Solution is less than or equal to that with hand-washing. i.e. Ha: MeABS MeLSS Step 2: To Formulate an Analysis Plan For our analysis, we would be using the data obtained from three separate research projects carried out on similar topic. 1. Research conducted by Parienti, et al. at six surgical services from teaching and non-teaching hospitals in France, conducted between January 1, 2000 and May 1, 2001. In their research, "surgical services used two hand cleaning methods alternatively every month: a hand-rubbing protocol with 75% aqueous alcoholic solution and a hand-scrubbing protocol with antiseptic preparation." (Parienti et al, 2002) Thirty-day surgical site infection rates were the primary factor being monitored. 2. In the research done by Girou, et al. at 3 intensive care units in a university hospital in France in 2002, 23 nurses and nursing assistants had volunteered to participate. "12