Are hand sanitizers worth using?

Are hand sanitizers worth using?

            It isn’t necessary to use sterile surgical technique when catheterizing an Indiana pouch but we encounter numerous sources of bacteria in ordinary living and it makes sense to minimize the chances of transferring bad bugs to the pouch where they might cause infection.

The best way to prevent disease transmission is thorough handwashing with ordinary soap. The procedure should take at least 20 seconds, about the time it takes to hum two verses of “Happy birthday to you.”  Use water as warm as you can tolerate and air-dry or use paper towels.  If you use a cloth towel it should be one that no one uses but you.

A waterless hand sanitizer is a good back-up and sometimes it’s the only thing available. It’s an indispensable part of our travel kit.

Be wary of the alcohol-type sanitizers. Alcohol really isn’t a very good antiseptic. In fact, microbiologists sometimes use growth media that contain alcohol in order to cultivate certain types of bacteria. A cursory swipe like the one that lab techs use before they draw blood from you is more to get off surface dirt than to kill germs.

There are only a few published studies on hand sanitizers but the most effective ones so far are those that contain benzalkonium chloride. That substance has been used as a clinical antiseptic for decades. Although there are a few exceptions, bacteria are not likely to become resistant to it.

Some persons might develop irritation from using a hand sanitizer that contains benzalkonium chloride but the addition of allantoin tends to reduce it.