Hand-Drying Techniques Offer Equal Success

Hand-Drying Techniques Offer Equal Success

Longstanding guidelines for hand-washing procedures have significantly reduced the spread of nosocomial infections to patients. But when it comes to hand-drying techniques, there may be no need to look for the best method.

A study published in the July 2000 Mayo Clinic Proceedings indicates that whatever way you dry your hands works just as well as any other in controlling hospital infection.

The study of 99 adults concluded that the following four different drying methods offered about the same success in removing bacteria from the hands:

• Cloth towels on a rotary dispenser
• Paper towels from a stack near the sink
• Warm heat from a hand-activated wall dryer
• Simply letting the hands dry in the air

The analysis appears to show that "no significant difference in bacterial reduction occurs among any of these hand-drying methods," the study stated.

The results should not be taken to mean that you shouldn't dry your hands; rather, "good hand-washing technique involves both washing and drying of hands," the researchers wrote. The report re-emphasizes that the risks of patient infection decrease when health care workers wash their hands regularly.

To read about the study online, go to www.mayo.edu/publication/proceedings/2000/jul/jul2000.html. (Internet connection required.)