As a result of the bacteria’s growing prevalence within healthcare facilities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made CRE its March 2013 Vital Signs public health topic.
Earlier this month, the CDC released a list of precautions healthcare providers can take to help prevent the spread of CRE in healthcare facilities. Chief among them is the recommendation to pay special attention to hand hygiene. And while experts agree hand washing is an important tool to stop the spread of infection, there is some debate over what type of soap is most effective for consumers and healthcare professionals alike.
According to research cited in The Wall Street Journal, antibacterial products boosted sales of liquid hand soap more than 25% in the past five years, to $809 million last year.
But Kate Ellingson, an epidemiologist in the CDC’s division of health-care quality promotion, tells the WSJ, “There is not strong evidence to support the benefits of antimicrobial versus non-antimicrobial soaps in terms of disease prevention.”
Meanwhile, the American Cleaning Institute maintains that research has shown antibacterial soaps to eliminate germs better than cleansers without the chemical. The organization's spokesman tells the WSJ: “They are part of common-sense hygiene routines in homes, office and health-care settings every single day. Of all places, there’s probably the greatest need for antibacterial soap in health-care settings.”
And the controversy extends to alcohol based hand sanitizers, which the CDC recommends consumers only use when soap and water is not available, but which may be the best way for healthcare practitioners to disinfect between patients.
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