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NIOSH Home > Safety and Health Topics >Skin Exposures and Effects >Occupational & Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals- 2005> Abstracts

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Abstract for Poster 3

 

 

Skin response to hand disinfection: A comparison between alcohol-based disinfectant and detergent

L. Kynemund Pedersen1, E. Held*2, J. Duus Johansen1, T. Agner3
1National Allergy Research Centre for Consumer Products, Gentofte, Denmark
2H;S Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
3Department of Dermatology, Gentofte, Denmark

Background

The benefit of alcohol-based disinfectant used on normal skin has been debated.

Objectives

The objective of the present study was to compare effects of repeated exposure to an alcohol-based disinfectant, a detergent and an alcohol-based disinfectant/detergent alternately for 10 days, including non-invasive measurements in the evaluation. Skin reactivity in irritated skin after a 4-week interval was also evaluated.

Materials and methods

Detergent, disinfectant and disinfectant/detergent alternately were 2 times daily applied every 10 minutes for 1 hour to the ventral upper arms and forearms of 17 healthy volunteers.  A control area was included. After 4 weeks a SLS (Sodium Lauryl Suphate) patch was applied to each area. Irritant reactions were quantified by a visual score and measurement of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin colour at day 1, 5, 11, 38 and 40.

Results

At day 5 detergent caused a higher visual score than both disinfectant applied alone and disinfectant/detergent alternately, p<0.05. At day 11 detergent and disinfectant/detergent alternately caused a higher score than disinfectant, p<0.05. An increased irritant response for detergent as compared to disinfectant alone and disinfectant/detergent alternately was confirmed by TEWL evaluations at day 5 and 11, p<0.001, while no significant difference was found by colour measurement. After 4 weeks, when evaluated by colour measurement, significantly less response to SLS patch was found at disinfectant treated area as compared to control area and detergent area, and the same tendency was found for TEWL although not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Alcohol-based disinfectant caused less visual skin irritation and less skin barrier disruption than use of detergent. Alternate use of detergent/disinfectant caused less irritation than selective use of detergent, and a possible interaction between the two irritants was not indicated.  There was a tendency of decreased skin reactivity in the skin areas that had 4 weeks previously been exposed to disinfectant, but further studies are needed to elucidate this.

 

Content last modified: 15 May 2005

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