人們常通過洗手來抑制細菌傳播,，但許多人往往忽略了洗完后使手變干的步驟,，使得洗手的效果減弱,。英國的一項新研究顯示,，選擇讓手變干的正確方法有利于防止手上殘留的細菌傳播到別處,。
英國布拉德福德大學(xué)等機構(gòu)的研究人員在新一期《應(yīng)用微生物學(xué)雜志》上報告說,，洗手是有效去除細菌的方法，但還不能消滅所有細菌,，如果隨后不設(shè)法讓手正確變干,，殘留的細菌很容易在濕潤環(huán)境中繼續(xù)傳播，因此讓手變干也是一個很重要的步驟,。
由于保持手部衛(wèi)生的主要目的是防止細菌從手上傳播到所拿的食物等物品上,，研究人員專門設(shè)計了實驗，以評估讓手變干的各種方法對細菌傳播的影響,。即先請志愿者觸摸生肉沾上細菌,，隨后洗手并采取不同方法讓手變干，在這一過程的每個階段都把手在培養(yǎng)皿上按一下,，爾后再檢測會留下多少細菌,。
結(jié)果顯示，在使用紙巾,、借助各種“干手機”等方法中,，使用紙巾擦手最為有效，在如此讓手變干后,，通過接觸而傳播到培養(yǎng)皿上的細菌數(shù)量減少幅度最大,。
而“干手機”的效果取決于如何使用，有些“干手機”用暖空氣將手烘干,，常要求搓手以加快水分蒸發(fā),，還有的機器用高速氣流將水吹干。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn),，與洗手過程中搓手有更好的除菌效果不同,，在烘干手部的過程中如果搓手，那么會將原來隱藏在皮膚深處未被洗掉的細菌帶到手的表面,，這樣的手在干燥后接觸培養(yǎng)皿時,，會留下更多細菌。
但如果手在“干手機”中靜止不動,，那么手部干燥后在培養(yǎng)皿上留下的細菌數(shù)量與使用紙巾差不了太多。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦英文摘要：
Journal of Applied Microbiology DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2010.04838.x
Comparative evaluation of the hygienic efficacy of an ultra-rapid hand dryer vs conventional warm air hand dryers
A.M. Snelling1, T. Saville2, D. Stevens2, C.B. Beggs1
Aims: To compare an ultra-rapid hand dryer against warm air dryers, with regard to: (A) bacterial transfer after drying and (B) the impact on bacterial numbers of rubbing hands during dryer use.
Methods and Results: The Airblade? dryer (Dyson Ltd) uses two air ‘knives’ to strip water from still hands, whereas conventional dryers use warm air to evaporate moisture whilst hands are rubbed together. These approaches were compared using 14 volunteers; the Airblade? and two types of warm air dryer. In study (A), hands were contaminated by handling meat and then washed in a standardized manner. After dryer use, fingers were pressed onto foil and transfer of residual bacteria enumerated. Transfers of 0–107 CFU per five fingers were observed. For a drying time of 10 s, the Airblade? led to significantly less bacterial transfer than the other dryers (P < 0·05; range 0·0003–0·0015). When the latter were used for 30–35 s, the trend was for the Airblade to still perform better, but differences were not significant (P > 0·05, range 0·1317–0·4099). In study (B), drying was performed ± hand rubbing. Contact plates enumerated bacteria transferred from palms, fingers and fingertips before and after drying. When keeping hands still, there was no statistical difference between dryers, and reduction in the numbers released was almost as high as with paper towels. Rubbing when using the warm air dryers inhibited an overall reduction in bacterial numbers on the skin (P < 0·05).
Conclusions: Effective hand drying is important for reducing transfer of commensals or remaining contaminants to surfaces. Rubbing hands during warm air drying can counteract the reduction in bacterial numbers accrued during handwashing.
Significance and Impact of the Study: The Airblade? was superior to the warm air dryers for reducing bacterial transfer. Its short, 10 s drying time should encourage greater compliance with hand drying and thus help reduce the spread of infectious agents via hands.
