hand sanitizers?

[Knight]

Since getting my graft, I've become much more anti-bac conscious especially now needing to go near my eye so often for cleaning and inserting the drops throughout the day.
I'm curious if all the so called 'hand sanitizers' are the same and who here uses them frequently, what's your experiences, recommendations.
I've personally been using AquaSan Hand Sanitiser anti-bacterial it says it kills MRSA as well and it's the usual 'no need for water alcohol based'. So far using it about a month daily and found it's not nearly as harsh on the skin as the Hibisol that I used last year But AquaSan dries in quick and doesn't leave any residue which was one of my concerns in case it got into my eye. Anyway:

http://www.malibusun.com/AquasanProduct ... ductID=443

On the site there, more details, its advertised for £2.99 but I'm getting a 250ml bottle for £1.50.

[Andrew MacLean]

I've used the "Hibi" stuff, but it is not too kind to the hands.

In the end, after talking to an infection control nurse, I settled on soap and hot water. But the hand cleaners are very useful for travel ... trains etc, if you need to either pop in some drops or even handle lenses.

when i was using drops on a several doses a day basis I had them in Minims so I could count the number I'd use each day before setting off.

Will try AquaSan Hand Sanitiser.

Andrew
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[jayuk]

Knight

Like yourself, I was also very conscious of this and I think in the first month must have washed my hands about 15 times a day!....I was so concerned about germs and putting drops in, and even touching any where near the eye

I was using the Carex anti bacterial handwash and the Aquasan depending on which I had left....and so far so good!..

J

[Andrew MacLean]

All the best with your interview with the dude from the council. This is an important issue for us all, and for others whom we will never meet.

Andrew

[GarethB]

We are coverd in microbes, some good and some bad.

Overuse of anti bacterial cleansers can be damaging to skin and leave it very dry and cracked. This then leads to infections through the dry cracked skin.

Basic hygiene should be more than enough. This wil help maintain the moisture and ould content of the sking that prevent bacteria penetrating in the first place.

[Knight]

Good advice indeedy.
But my concern was rather, not so much bacteria penetrating the skin due to cracks or lack of moisture but due to the combination of bacterial transference from the hand/fingers to the eye via touch, as in, odds are generally bacteria won't infect you but you can still carry it. Then with the cornea already compromised the eye can be left more prone to infection and regarding one of the side effects with the various eye drops, use can increase risk of secondary infection.
So my thinking was, even though your hands can be clean, they're still not hygienic enough to be touching around the eye area so soon after a corneal graft…which was why I now use regularly hand sanitizers just to be safe?

[Andrew MacLean]

Knight

when we visit hospitals (ministers calling on patients) we are encouraged to use that pink hibiscrub stuff as we enter each ward and as we leave each patient (shaking hands seems to be a high risk activity). I guess I may use the stuff ten or eleven times when I am doing my rounds, and I am pretty sure that doctors and nurses use it far more often.

In addition, when barrier nursing protocols are in place, we have to put on latex gloves. These seem to have some sort of powder inside them, to help with putting them on and taking them off again.

I find the powder in the gloves, along with the hibiscrub, quite abbrassive on my poor hands. But there again, nurses must go through this routine dozens of times a day.

As I say, I normally scrub with soap and hot water before handling stuff that is going either into or near my eyes. But I shall give the stuff you reccomend at least on a trial basis when I am travelling.

All that said, I take Gareth's point about not wanting to kill off 'freindly' bacteria.

Andrew

[Sweet]

Ok guess i should say something as being a nurse we are very aware of hand hygiene! Yes hand scrubs are very handy and not needing water very good for travel. I guess if you are very worried about the risk of germs etc then they would be helpful.

However it has to be said that cleaning your hands with hot water and soap is just as effective and will kill most germs. I also haven't yet heard of an alcohol lotion that can kill MRSA, it is more down to hygiene with regular hand washing to prevent getting the bug and then it needs some strong antibiotics to kill it.

I would say to regularly wash your hands especially before inserting drops etc and hopefully so long as you aren't touching your eye you should be ok.

Take care, Sweet X x X

[GarethB]

When inserting eye drops nothing should come intouch with the dropper or the cornea itself.

The tears a relativly good protection against infection which is why me have them and so are the drops.

Becoming too relient on medication can have a detremental effect on our own bodies ability to withstand infection.

So as Sweet says good hygiene you will be find, that is probably why my grafts survived me working down sewers and around sewage plants. I was about 9 months post graft in the left eye. Prior to that I was working on a dairy farm within weeks of my first graft.

[jayuk]

However it has to be said that cleaning your hands with hot water and soap is just as effective and will kill most germs.


Surely not?.....or am I wrong?