Evaluation of Two Different Methods of Hand Disinfection, Sterillium® Compared with Hibiscrub®: The Experience from Sweden

Introduction: Post-operative infections are a major issue in healthcare. Not only do these infections strain the budget, but they also cause thousands of patients a great deal of suffering. Research showed that postoperative infections can be prevented. Preoperative hand disinfection is one of these preventative measures. Aim: The aim was to compile scientific studies in which the difference in effectiveness between two hand disinfectants is evaluated; the alcohol-based hand disinfection method and the antiseptic method. Method: The method used was based on seven scientific articles. These articles were selected through a systematic search of the following databases: CINAHL, PubMed and Scopus. All comparisons between the two hand disinfection methods, and any discussion thereof, were approached with surgical site infection (SSI), the number of bacterial colonies (CFU/ml) and skin reaction in mind. Result: The result in the study shows that the alcohol-based hand disinfection method (SHR), in combination with (Sterillium®), is significantly more effective than preoperative antiseptic hand disinfection method (SHS) using (Hibiscrub®). The systematic literature review shows that the credibility of the included articles is rather high; they are within the low, the middle high and high evidence range. Conclusions: The alcohol-based disinfection method with Sterillium® was more effective than the preoperative antiseptic hand disinfection method with Hibiscrub®. Development and research in the field are constantly evolving and thereby subject to change. It is therefore important to research the various interventions that produce better results, and that can be tested and compared in as many surgical departments as possible worldwide.