Living in the safety bubble of hand sanitizer...Do you?

[1still_waters]

Hand sanitizer may be one of the best mobile devices made next to the smart phone and tablet. How many of you carry a supply with you whereever you go?

 

[blue_ladybug]

Hand sanitizer may be one of the best mobile devices made next to the smart phone and tablet. How many of you carry a supply with you whereever you go?

I don't carry any with me but I do have some here at home..

 

[JustAnotherUser]

I carry some as well as hand lotion since my hands dry easily. May even start to bring my own hand soap since some public restrooms may lack some or they don't feel like they make my hands clean. -sigh-

 

[1still_waters]

I'm about due to refill this one...

 

[Roh_Chris]

My work takes me to ICUs very frequently. I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in my work bag because not every ICU in India has a hand sanitizer dispenser installed at the entrance.

 

[1still_waters]

My work takes me to ICUs very frequently. I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in my work bag because not every ICU in India has a hand sanitizer dispenser installed at the entrance.

They consider hand sanitizer good enough to use? Is that even in place of a good hand scrubbing?

 

[Roh_Chris]

They consider hand sanitizer good enough to use? Is that even in place of a good hand scrubbing?

Yep. As per ICU guidelines, a bottle of hand sanitizer must be present at the bedside of every patient. The risks of nosocomical infection is so high that doctors in the best hospitals even use oral disinfectants. It is safer than washing their hands/mouths/faces after completing their rounds. Furthermore, the hand/oral sanitizers that they use is much more powerful than the ones that are available as an OTC (over-the-counter) pack in retail shops. It is 'medical grade'.

 

[1still_waters]

Yep. As per ICU guidelines, a bottle of hand sanitizer must be present at the bedside of every patient. The risks of nosocomical infection is so high that doctors in the best hospitals even use oral disinfectants. It is safer than washing their hands/mouths/faces after completing their rounds. Furthermore, the hand/oral sanitizers that they use is much more powerful than the ones that are available as an OTC (over-the-counter) pack in retail shops. It is 'medical grade'.

Interesting. Do the medical grade sanitizers have similar negative effects as some antibiotics, where it will eventually lead to germs, bacteria, etc. mutating and becoming immune?

 

[Roh_Chris]

Interesting. Do the medical grade sanitizers have similar negative effects as some antibiotics, where it will eventually lead to germs, bacteria, etc. mutating and becoming immune?

I hope not. If I could speculate, there may be a risk but I don't know for sure. Perhaps it depends on the strain of the virus we are dealing with.
I have a friend who works in a company whih manufactures disinfectants for ICUs. I could try and find that out for you (not sure if he would be happy to answer that though).

 

[1still_waters]

I hope not. If I could speculate, there may be a risk but I don't know for sure. Perhaps it depends on the strain of the virus we are dealing with.
I have a friend who works in a company whih manufactures disinfectants for ICUs. I could try and find that out for you (not sure if he would be happy to answer that though).

Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

 

[Oncefallen]

Interesting. Do the medical grade sanitizers have similar negative effects as some antibiotics, where it will eventually lead to germs, bacteria, etc. mutating and becoming immune?

I don't know that using sanitizers is a part of the cause of anti-biotic resistant bacteria, however (IMO) overuse will weaken your immunity system and even more so a child's. Our immunity systems (other than inherited traits) are predominantly a blank slate at birth. Our bodies learn what to kill off and what not to by exposure to different things in childhood years. I find it interesting that current research shows that kids raised in less sterile environments (rural, ag communities) are by far less likely to develop allergies and auto-immune disorders and that as our environments become increasingly sterile (anti-bacterial everything) auto-immune disorders are flourishing.

 

[Ugly]

I keep some in the car. And once i become more mobile and am out more often i may find small ones to carry on me. But i also have a lowered immune system due to the medications i take, so i have to be more cautious than most people.

 

[Siberian_Khatru]

I use it from time to time. I have a small bottle in my desk at work, where everyone is kind of...not sanitary. To my understanding, however, using it in excess is not conducive as it kills not only bad bacteria, but good bacteria as well.

All things in moderation.

 

[maxwel]

I never use hand sanitizer on myself... it seems to be going at things backward.

Why subject myself to hundreds of hand washings daily, when I already know where my own hands have been?

Backward.


When people come up to me, I spray the sanitizer on THEM.

 

[Oncefallen]

To my understanding, however, using it in excess is not conducive as it kills not only bad bacteria, but good bacteria as well.

Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner!!!

There are literally thousands of different bacteria that reside both in and on our bodies that live in a symbiotic relationship with us.

 

[1still_waters]

I don't know that using sanitizers is a part of the cause of anti-biotic resistant bacteria, however (IMO) overuse will weaken your immunity system and even more so a child's. Our immunity systems (other than inherited traits) are predominantly a blank slate at birth. Our bodies learn what to kill off and what not to by exposure to different things in childhood years. I find it interesting that current research shows that kids raised in less sterile environments (rural, ag communities) are by far less likely to develop allergies and auto-immune disorders and that as our environments become increasingly sterile (anti-bacterial everything) auto-immune disorders are flourishing.

wow good points.

 

[1still_waters]

I use it from time to time. I have a small bottle in my desk at work, where everyone is kind of...not sanitary. To my understanding, however, using it in excess is not conducive as it kills not only bad bacteria, but good bacteria as well.

All things in moderation.

There are good bacteria? :O

 

[Siberian_Khatru]

There are good bacteria? :O

Naturally!

 

[1still_waters]

Naturally!

lol.....................

 

[ServantStrike]

I don't know that using sanitizers is a part of the cause of anti-biotic resistant bacteria, however (IMO) overuse will weaken your immunity system and even more so a child's. Our immunity systems (other than inherited traits) are predominantly a blank slate at birth. Our bodies learn what to kill off and what not to by exposure to different things in childhood years. I find it interesting that current research shows that kids raised in less sterile environments (rural, ag communities) are by far less likely to develop allergies and auto-immune disorders and that as our environments become increasingly sterile (anti-bacterial everything) auto-immune disorders are flourishing.

This is precisely why I don't use them.

I wash my hands after using the restroom. That's about it. I don't sanitize the heck out of every surface at home or at work unless there is food preparation involved - and even then there are varying degrees to which I'll clean a surface (I'll use something a lot stronger if I was handling raw poultry than I will if I was just chopping up some vegetables).

Whenever a soap is listed as antibacterial I usually ditch it in favor of one that isn't.