Transcript A Case Against Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizers

A Case Against Alcohol Gel
Hand Sanitizers
Microsan™rx Foaming
Hand Sanitizer
Vs.
Purell®
Pfizers Frequently Asked
Questions About Purell From Their
Website - www.pfizerch.com

Purell® FAQ Answer - Red
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Microsan™ Comments – Blue
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Microsan™ FHS Benefits - Green
How does Purell® work?
The Purell® product is a refreshing instant hand sanitizer that kills
99.99% of most common germs that may cause disease.
Alcohol is the only part of the alcohol based products that is active.
It is only active for less than 10 seconds.
Microsanrx contains a high technology, patent pending, formulation
that uses three USP grade ingredients (anti-microbial agent,
surfactant, alcohol 14%) and pH to effectively denature microbial
proteins and denature metabolic pathway enzymes.
How do I use Purell® products?
Thoroughly wet hands with product. Rub hands together
briskly until dry. No rinsing required. No towels needed.
The recommendation of the CDC is that recurrent use of
alcohol based gel hand sanitizers is not recommended without
adequate hand washing between uses. The reason for this is
that gels leave a biofilm on skin surfaces that trap dirt and
potentially pathogenic organisms. Effectiveness decreases
with added use and alcohol based products are ineffective with
the third use without washing your hands.
MIcrosanrx not only kill over 100 tested bacteria, viruses, yeast
and mild but also effectively removes dirt from your hands
without leaving a biofilm.
How can I tell that the Purell® instant
hand sanitizer is working?
Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer works as the alcohol
evaporates
The evaporation time for applied Purell is less than 10
seconds with a nickel size dose. This dwell time is
inadequate for consistant and proper antimicrobial action.
Microsanrx leaves a layer of germ killing ingredients that
continues to kill for 4 hours. This is truly a glove of
protection.
Is Purell® a soap?
No. Purell® is an Instant Hand Sanitizer designed to kill germs
on the hands when soap and water are unavailable. Purell®
Instant Hand Sanitizer can also be used after hand washing to
kill germs that may remain after soap-and-water hand washing.
Most protocols for hand hygiene require that you do not rely
on alcohol based gel hand sanitizers like Purell® for repeated
use without hand washing. Purell® will not work in the
presence of organic soil and it does not contain surfactants to
remove the soil so the alcohol will work.
Microsanrx contains a surfactant/alcohol/pH system that
enhances the antimicrobial agent in the system for a rapid,
effective kill.
How does Purell® instant hand
sanitizer compare to antibacterial soap?
Purell® is not soap. Alcohol is more efficacious and faster
acting against bacteria than Triclosan or Chloroxylenol, other
leading antimicrobial active ingredients. Soaps require rinsing
and drying. Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer evaporates rapidly,
without the need for water or towels.
CDC and FDA and anyone in the know states that hand
washing with antimicrobials soaps is preferable to alcohol
based gel hand sanitizers. There is very little data published to
support the Purell® statement that alcohol in a gel system
works well and kills instantly..
Microsanrx contains a surfactant system that breaks down the
dirt on your hands to allow the active ingredients kill. This
system is comparable to hand washing without water.
Can Purell® instant hand sanitizer be
used between hand washing?
Yes. Purell® is a sanitizer, not a cleaner; meaning that it will kill
germs, but will not remove dirt, grease, or grime off hands.
With the third use, alcohol gel products become inefficient and
your hands need to be washed. Dirt, grease and grime
inactivate the alcohol in the gel system.
Microsanrx can be used as often as necessary. It leaves no
biofilms, continuously cleans and leaves a deposition of germ
killing ingredients that continue for up to 4 hours. Use every
four hours will protect you all day. Heavy contamination
requires more frequent application. Wash you hands after
using the restroom and before you eat.
How long after I use the Purell® instant
hand sanitizer does it kill germs?
Purell® products have no residual germ-killing effect. Purell®
products kill germs on contact, but once it has evaporated, the
germ-killing action has stopped.
The wet dwell time for Purell is less than 10 seconds and it is
doubtful that Purell kills on contact. This time is inadequate to
kill many pathogenic bacterial, enveloped and non enveloped
viruses.
The Microsanrx System leaves a deposition of germ killing
ingredients that continue to prevent the re-colonization of
microorganisms for up to 4 hours. Alcohol does not have this
residual protection.
How can Purell® instant hand
sanitizer help to protect you?
Since over 80% of all infectious illnesses are spread by the
hands, effective hand hygiene with products like Purell® Instant
Hand Sanitizer can prevent illness. (Purell® kills 99.99% of most
common germs that may cause illness). Hand hygiene is
recognized by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as the
single most important means of preventing the spread of
infection. Effective hand hygiene kills germs that are easily
spread by hands.
No clinical studies could be found in any of the medical data
bases (Medline or Pubmed) that show that less than 10 seconds
is an adequate dwell time for alcohol based gel products like
Purell. If you use the ASTM test standard with pathogenic
organisms you will find that it is not. Pfizer does not publish
Purell's efficacy list of product sensitive organisms. It relies on
historical data for pure ethanol products without a gel base.
Microsanrx has been clinically proven to kill over 100 different
species of bacteria, virus, yeast and mold including antibiotic
resistant bacteria.
How often should I use Purell® instant
hand sanitizer?
Purell® products are formulated with moisturizers so that you
can use them as often as you like. You may use Purell® Instant
Hand Sanitizer before eating meals on the run, after sneezing,
before and after changing a baby's diaper, after grocery
shopping, after taking public transportation, or anytime. Purell®
products make good hand hygiene easy, and that helps you
stay well.
Since Purell and other alcohol gel products have no residual
germ killing protection, you will pick potentially pathogenic
organisms as soon as the alcohol dries. For some protection,
alcohol based hand sanitizer need to be used every 5 minutes
when in a dirty environment. Remember, studies have shown
that with the third use, alcohol gel based products without a
hand wash with soap and water are ineffective in killing recolonized germs. Soil also inactivates the effects of alcohol.
Since Microsanrx cleans as it sanitizes, there is no inactivation
by organic soil so you can use it as often as you would like.
Can Purell® instant hand sanitizer
be used between handwashing?
Yes. Purell® is a sanitizer, not a cleaner; meaning that it will kill
germs, but will not remove dirt, grease, or grime off hands.
With the third use, alcohol gel products become inefficient and
your hands need to be washed.
Microsanrx Can be used as often as necessary. It leaves no
biofilms, continuously cleans and leaves a deposition of germ
killing ingredients that continue for 4 hours. Use every four
hours will protect you all day. Heavy contamination requires
more frequent application. Microsanrx can be used to remove
dirt and grease by using an excess application and drying with
a cloth or paper napkin. No other product makes this claim.
What germs does Purell® instant hand
sanitizer kill? What is it not effective against?
Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer is effective against a wide variety
of organisms including E. coli, Staphylococcus sp.,
Streptococcus sp., Salmonella sp. at > 99.99%.
To meet the FDA OTC drug monograph for hand sanitizers, you
must be able to kill the above organisms. Most alcohol based
gel product studies done to meet this requirement were done
with pure alcohol, without the gel base and without the
presence of organic soil. They don’t tell you what it won’t kill.
Microsanrx Foaming Hand Sanitizer was tested using the
complete product against a variety of multi-antibiotic resistant
bacteria, viruses, yeast and mold using actual clinical isolates
when possible. Also tested in the presence of 5% bovine serum
albumin to simulate blood contamination or organic soil.
Does Purell® instant hand sanitizer
kill the good and bad germs?
Yes, however, because Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer has no
residual antimicrobial activity, the natural flora left in the skin
will resurface and repopulate quickly. Purell® Instant Hand
Sanitizer does eliminate some good germs while it gets rid of
bad germs. So does washing with soap and water.
We really don't know what Purell kills. They always talk in
general terms.
Microsanrx Foaming Hand Sanitizer has been tested on over 100
different bacteria, viruses, yeast and mold in the presence of
5% serum. See the Microsanrx efficacy list.
Does Purell® instant hand sanitizer
contribute to antimicrobial resistance?
No, because alcohol evaporates completely, there is no
alcohol left behind to promote adaptation. Alcohol has
been used in health care for many years with minimal
adverse effects.
Microsanrx does not contribute to microbial resistance
because of its quick mode of action. If organisms can not
reproduce, they can't develop resistance genes. We know
of no organisms that have developed resistance to the
Microsanrx Foaming Hand Sanitizer System.
How does alcohol work?
Alcohol works by denaturing proteins.
Purell will not work in the presence organic soil (dirt or grease).
This is why they tell you to wash your hands often.
Microsanrx was developed to solvate soil and grease so the
Microsanrx Quad Technology™ system will kill quickly and
effectively.
Are there any "side effects" to
using Purell® products?
No side effects as a result of using Purell® Instant Hand
Sanitizer have been reported. As with all drugs, you should use
Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer only as directed.
Should be kept away from children, smokers and those with
alcohol dependence. The denatured alcohol is a poison and is
flammable.
Microsanrx has no known side effects.
Why do the instructions on the Purell® label
say "keep out of reach of children"?
All Purell® formulas are classified as Over The Counter (OTC)
drugs and, therefore, are subject to labeling requirements of the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These requirements
include putting "Keep out of the reach of children" on the
package. This warning helps ensure that parents explain to
children how to use the product properly. This labeling is an
FDA requirement for all OTC drugs. It is a precaution found on
many products. It does not mean "do not use on children," but
is a precaution so that children do not mishandle the product.
Although Purell can be used on children, Purell is flammable
and caution should be used around children.
Microsanrx is an FDA regulated OTC drug product. Microsanrx is
non-flammable and safe.
How many times can Purell® instant hand
sanitizer be used before washing hands?
Purell® products can be used to disinfect hands
whenever they are not visibly soiled and can be used
repeatedly. There is no need to wash hands between
uses, unless they become visibly soiled or come in
contact with bloodborne pathogens or body fluids.
Alcohol based hand sanitizers do no work in the
presence of organic soil. Any small amount of organic
soil renders the alcohol ineffective.
Microsanrxhas been tested in the presence of 5% bovine
serum albumin to simulate bloodborne contamination.
Microsanrx kills in the presence of organic soil.
Does Purell® instant hand sanitizer
leave a residue?
No, Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer leaves no harmful residue.
Hands are left feeling soft and refreshed. a small bit of emollient
(skin conditioning agent) is left on the hands after use.
Purell's emollient and gel ingredients leave a dirt and
microorganism attracting biofilm residue. This biofilm inhibits
the ability of alcohol to denature proteins with repeated use.
Microsanrx uses patent pending “Quad Technology” that not
only disinfects but cleans dirt and grease at the same time.
Is there a problem with Purell® instant
hand sanitizer staining floors?
Because alcohol is a solvent (Purell® Instant Hand
Sanitizer contains 62% Ethyl Alcohol), it can dissolve
floor wax and leave a dull or discolored spot if dripped on
the floor. In certain situations, product may be
"splashed" onto the floor from the user's hands as it is
being rubbed in.
If Purell can dissolve commercial floor wax, imagine what
it will do to the lipids in your skin cells.
Microsanrx contains no ingredients that will effect floor
finishes or your hands.
Is Purell® instant hand sanitizer
flammable?
Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer is flammable but requires a
flame, spark, or other ignition source. Purell® products are safe
when used, handled, and stored as directed.
Any open flame or ignition source will cause Purell to burn
much like Sterno®. Even though the alcohol used in Purell
contains a denaturant, there have been cases where alcohol
addicted persons have injested the product. Also using an
alcohol based hand sanitizer while smoking is extremely
dangerous and has caused severe burns.
Microsanrx is completely non-flammable
Is Purell® instant hand
sanitizer toxic?
Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer is not toxic if used properly.
Denatured alcohol at 62% can be flammable and a poison.
Microsanrx Foaming Hand Sanitizer is non-toxic and safe when
used as directed
Will Purell® instant hand sanitizer
affect jewelry?
Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer will not affect gold or
silver, but may affect some costume jewelry.
Alcohol effects many materials used to make jewelry.
Microsanrx will not affect jewelry.
Is it FDA approved?
Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer does meet the requirements in
the FDA's Tentative Final Monograph for Topical Antimicrobial
Products and the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
requirements are followed.
Microsanrx Foaming Hand Sanitizer is regulated under the FDA
tentative final monograph and is manufactured under strict
cGMP manufacturing.
Microsanrx exceeds the minimum (8) number of organisms that
have to be tested and has tested over 100 in the presence of 5%
bovine serum albumin to simulate human blood proteins and
organic soil..