Can alcohol-based hand-rub solutions cause you to lose your driver's license? Comparative cutaneous absorption of various alcohols

T L Brown; S Gamon; P Tester; R Martin; K Hosking; G C Bowkett; D Gerostamoulos; M L Grayson

doi:10.1128/AAC.01320-06

Can alcohol-based hand-rub solutions cause you to lose your driver's license? Comparative cutaneous absorption of various alcohols

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2007 Mar;51(3):1107-8. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01320-06. Epub 2006 Dec 28.

Authors

T L Brown¹, S Gamon, P Tester, R Martin, K Hosking, G C Bowkett, D Gerostamoulos, M L Grayson

Affiliation

¹ Infectious Diseases Department, Austin Health, Studley Road, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia.

Abstract

We assessed cutaneous ethanol (ETOH) and isopropanol (ISOP) absorption after intensive (30 times per h) use of alcohol-based hand-rub solutions by healthcare workers (HCWs). ETOH was detectable in the breath of 6/20 HCWs (0.001 to 0.0025%) at 1 to 2 min postexposure and in the serum of 2/20 HCWs at 5 to 7 min postexposure. Serum ISOP levels were unrecordable at all time points.

MeSH terms

2-Propanol / pharmacokinetics
Administration, Topical
Adult
Aged
Anti-Infective Agents, Local / administration & dosage
Anti-Infective Agents, Local / blood*
Anti-Infective Agents, Local / pharmacokinetics*
Chromatography, Gas
Ethanol / administration & dosage
Ethanol / blood*
Ethanol / pharmacokinetics*
Female
Health Personnel
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Skin Absorption

Substances

Anti-Infective Agents, Local
Ethanol
2-Propanol