Efficacy of alcoholic hand disinfectants against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

In order to determine the efficacy of hand disinfectants based on alcohol against three MRSA strains and 3 methicillin-susceptible S. aureus strains (MSSA), 1-propanol (60%) as well as Sterillium and Spitaderm were investigated in the quantitative suspension test at various dilutions and reactions times (15, 30 and 60 s). All undiluted disinfectants revealed reduction factors > 6 against MRSA and MSSA after 30 s. Diluted disinfectants (50 %) were significantly less effective against MRSA at short reaction times (15s) (p < 0.05). Sterillium in a dilution of 50 % did not reach 5 reduction factors against either MRSA or MSSA after 30 a. The impact of an appropriate use of hand disinfectants in order to break chains of infections with MRSA is obvious.