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Softalind® pure
During surgery the environment must be as clean as possible to reduce the possibility of the patient developing a surgical site infection (SSI).
This includes those working in the sterile field.
Current guidance states that the operating team should wash their hands prior to the first operation of the day using an aqueous antiseptic surgical solution and ensure that hands and nails are visibly clean with a single-use brush or pick for the nails.
For subsequent operations, hands should be washed either the same way or with an alcohol-based handrub (ABHR).
Traditionally an operating team will scrub their hands and forearms using a chlorhexidine or iodine based antimicrobial soap for an average of 3-5 minutes. This is known as surgical 'scrubbing'.
The rub method involves ‘rubbing’ with an alcohol-based handrub (ABHR) to disinfect them.
Skin tolerability: Alcohol hand rubs cause less skin damage with repeated use and alcohol allergy is very rare.2
Time saving: On average surgical scrubbing takes between 3 and 5 minutes,3 Softalind pure passes the surgical hand disinfection norm (EN 12791) in one minute.
Efficacy: Alcohol hand rubs have immediate antibacterial action and have been shown to be at least equally as effective as traditional antimicrobial soaps with a longer lasting effect.4,5,6,7
Cost saving: Alcohol hand rubs have shown to be a cost-effective alternative to traditional scrubbing.8 One study showed alcohol based hand rub (ABHR) reduced costs by 67%.
Sustainability: Traditional scrubbing can use up to 20 litres of water per scrubbing session, per person.9 Over the course of one year, a single operating theatre conducting 5 cases a day, with 3 people scrubbing each case, would save enough water to fill an average sized swimming pool.
B. Braun infection control products are manufactured in a state of the art facility in Sempach, Switzerland. This was a flagship project for B. Braun in terms of sustainability - all the heating used for production and buildings is generated using clean, renewable geothermal energy.
Find out more
(1) https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs49/chapter/quality-statement-4-intraoperative-staff-practices - NICE Guidance
(2) Kampf, G, and Kramer, A. Epidemiologic background of hand hygiene and evaluation of most important agents for scrubs and rubs. Clin Microb Rev 2004; 863-893
(3) Anderson, R., Doyle, G.R. and McCutcheon, J.A. (2018). 1.7 Surgical Hand Scrub, Applying Sterile Gloves and Preparing a Sterile Field. pressbooks.bccampus.ca. [online] Available at: https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/clinicalproceduresforsaferpatientcaretrubscn/chapter/1-7-surgical-hand-scrub-applying-sterile-gloves-and-preparing-a-sterile-field/.
(4) Parienti, J, Thibon, P et al. Hand-rubbing with an aqueous alcoholic solution vs traditional surgical hand-scrubbing and 30-day surgical site infection rates. JAMA 2002; 288(6):722-727.
(5) Lai, K, Foo, T et al. Surgical hand antisepsis – a pilot study comparing povidone iodine hand scrub and alcohol-based chlorhexidine gluconate hand rub. Ann Acad Med Sinagapore 2012; 41:12-16.
(6) Tavolacci, M, Pitrou, I, et al. Surgical hand rubbing compared with surgical hand scrubbing: comparison of efficacy and costs. J Hosp Infect 2006; 63:55-59.
(7) Kampf, G, and Kramer, A. Epidemiologic backgrouns of hand hygiene and evaluation of most important agents for scrubs and rubs. Clin Microb Rev 2004; 863-893.
(8) Tavolacci, M, Pitrou, I, et al. Surgical hand rubbing compared with surgical hand scrubbing: comparison of efficacy and costs. J Hosp Infect 2006; 63:55-59.
(9) Jehle, K, Jarrett, N, Matthews, S: Clean and green: saving water in the operating theatre. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2008; 90:22-24.
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