Hands are the prime means of transmission of microbes and the subsequent cause of nosocomial infections. To overcome the negative effect of microbial burden in health care settings, hand sanitizers are recommended for hand disinfection. Keeping this view, the present study was designed to demonstrate the antibacterial activity of fifteen hand sanitizers available in the market against the standard bacterial isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) by using Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Their efficacy was checked at two concentrations (100% and 50%). Among the fifteen sanitizers tested, three of them Biotol=75%, Antibacterial hand gel=75% and Hiclean=62.5% were found to be the most effective. Other sanitizers such as Purell , Enliven, Lifebuoy, Rivaj were seen in the efficacy range of 12.5%-25% while no activity (0%) was observed in antiseptics Carex, Safeguard, Blue+King, Dial, Dettol, Cool and cool, Infectiguard and Newlife against all the tested bacterial isolates. Our study concluded that sanitizer Biotol, Antibacterial hand gel and Hiclean exhibited maximum efficacy at both concentrations and thus fulfilled the claim of their manufacturer as germicidal.

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