Hand sanitizers are not all created equally: Why Purell is lacking
H1N1 Swine flu, Staph and MRSA skin infections, food poisoning from Salmonella and E.Coli and a host of other illnesses are headline news these days. In this highly connected, world is flat, global village that we all currently reside, protecting yourself from easily transferred bacterial and viral illnesses is paramount.
A handshake, sweaty piece of work-out equipment, your child's stint in daycare, an office restroom handle or anything on the train or bus during your daily commute are all potential sources of you and your family's next sickness.
Welcome to our new reality.
Alcohol based hand sanitizers, like Purell, are some of the most popular over-the -counter products on the market. Alcohol based hand sanitizing products kill organisms effectively by evaporation and drying. But unfortunately, once the products evaporate so does their effectiveness.
Alcohol based sanitizers offer no lasting protection; so to be properly protected a user would need to constantly re-apply the product. Shake a hand...re-apply. Open a door...re-apply. Pick up your cell phone, i pod or smart device...re-apply.
Simply put. Touch anything...re-apply.
The lack of lasting protection is one of the reasons that alcohol-based hand sanitizers have fared poorly in clinical studies that review infection rates.
Despite best efforts, it is almost impossible to use alcohol based products correctly and effectively.
A handshake, sweaty piece of work-out equipment, your child's stint in daycare, an office restroom handle or anything on the train or bus during your daily commute are all potential sources of you and your family's next sickness.
Welcome to our new reality.
Alcohol based hand sanitizers, like Purell, are some of the most popular over-the -counter products on the market. Alcohol based hand sanitizing products kill organisms effectively by evaporation and drying. But unfortunately, once the products evaporate so does their effectiveness.
Alcohol based sanitizers offer no lasting protection; so to be properly protected a user would need to constantly re-apply the product. Shake a hand...re-apply. Open a door...re-apply. Pick up your cell phone, i pod or smart device...re-apply.
Simply put. Touch anything...re-apply.
The lack of lasting protection is one of the reasons that alcohol-based hand sanitizers have fared poorly in clinical studies that review infection rates.
Despite best efforts, it is almost impossible to use alcohol based products correctly and effectively.
Posted by Johnny Benjamin MD at 5/16/2010 7:22 AM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: hand sanitizers alcohol based Purell
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: hand sanitizers alcohol based Purell
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