Background:
Despite the increasing use of alcohol-based hand rub solutions, few studies have quantified the concentrations of inhaled ethanol.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to assess ethanol exposure during hygienic and surgical hand disinfection practices.
Method:
Ethanol concentrations were measured at the nose level of a wooden dummy and human volunteers. two systems were used in parallel to determine short-term ethanol vapor exposures: activated charcoal tubes followed by gas chromatography analysis and direct reading on a photoionization detector (pid). exposure was assessed for 4 different sequences (n=10) reproducing hand rubs for simple surgery, nursing care, intensive care and surgical scrub.
Results:
The ethanol concentrations measured were of a similar order between the dummy and volunteers. the concentrations obtained by pid were higher than the gas chromatography values for the simple care (45%) and nursing care (27%) sequences and reflected specific exposure peaks of ethanol, whereas ethanol concentrations were continuously high for intensive care (440 mg m(-3)) or surgical scrub (650 mg m(-3)).
Conclusion:
Ethanol concentrations were similar for these two exposure assessment methods and demonstrated a relationship between handled doses and inhaled doses. however, the ethanol vapors released during hand disinfection were safe for the healthcare workers.