Table 1

Mean reduction ± SD of the resident hand flora of 20 volunteers by reference treatment (60% propan-1-ol for 3 min) or a 1.5 min treatment with a propanol-based hand rub applied in three different modes; experiments according to EN 12791 in a Latin-square design.

Formulation
Method
Time (min) of
Immediate effect
Sustained effect


washing
disinfection
drying
RF
p-value*
RF
p-value*

Propan-1-ol
Reference disinfection
1
3
-
1.79 ± 0.98
0.026
1.42 ± 0.90
0.430
Sterillium
A
1
1.5
-
1.51 ± 0.97§

1.62 ± 0.93

Sterillium
B
-
1.5
-
2.29 ± 1.02

1.70 ± 1.02

Sterillium
C
-
1.5
1
2.32 ± 0.93§

2.03 ± 0.91


*Comparison of all four treatments (Friedman test)

§Significant pairwise difference (p < 0.05) in Wilcoxon-Wilcox test

Hübner et al. BMC Microbiology 2006 6:57   doi:10.1186/1471-2180-6-57