Swine Flu: Alcoholic Hand sanitizers have side effects

In today’s world, we are surrounded by a multitude of bacteria, germs, and viruses, as well as stories of new strains of those viruses, leading to serious illnesses and, in some cases, even death. In response, we seek convenient and more effective ways to protect ourselves and our patients. At the same time, research has discovered that the products we know so well and trusted in for so long are not nearly as effective as once believed to be. For the past few years, use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers has been the common reaction of the public. However, not only are alcohol-based hand sanitizers a less effective alternative for sanitizing germs, but they cause various other problems. Because alcohol removes the skin’s natural oils, which is one of our bodies’ natural defenses against bacteria, repeated use of alcohol can actually increases skin bacteria hours later. Further, alcohol-based hand sanitizers only kill germs for up to 10 seconds until it has evaporated, leaving the user susceptible to the inadvertent spreading of germs not long after application. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also extremely flammable and have harmful side effects after repeated usage which include dry, cracked hands and painful irritation. Emergency Medical Products, a Wisconsin company, has recently introduced a new, government tested product line called DepHyze (pronounced “defies”) and military and Hospital grade Symagin. The DepHyze alcohol-free hand sanitizer, has proven to be more effective against a broad range of bacteria and viruses, with less harmful side-effects than alcohol-based brands. Quoting Charlie Talley, V.P. - Technical at Tionicon, manufacturer of the DepHyze products, “The development of DepHyze Hand Sanitizer is the result of a request for a product to help control the spread of viruses in confined areas. Specifically, the cruise line industry wanted a safer, more effective product to control the possible spread of Norovirus (Norwalk). DepHyze Hand Sanitizer has proven to be very effective against this virus as well as an additional twenty other micro-organisms it has been tested against. The overall results of this product produced an average of a 5-log reduction (99.999%) in normal skin flora. This reduction is ten times greater than that of the best selling alcohol based hand sanitizer.” DepHyze and Symagin Foaming Hand Sanitizer is alcohol-free and extremely effective and FDA accepted. It provides a barrier on the hands for up to 120 minutes after application, allowing for future protection against bacteria, germs and other pathogens. The active ingredient in DepHyze Foaming Hand Sanitizer is benzalkonium chloride, an alcohol-free antimicrobial compound that has been widely used in hospitals for more than 60 years in surface cleaners and sterilizing agents. Since there is no alcohol, it is not flammable and does not irritate the skin. Other products in the DepHyze product line include Ultra Clean - a one-step all-purpose surface cleaner that is EPA registered and NSF listed for use around food processing; Decon 3D - an all-purpose EPA registered disinfectant, decontaminant, and deodorizer with an efficacy of up to 99.99999% against most known micro-organisms; DepHyze Laundry – an excellent cleaner and deodorizer that removes smoke odors and musty odors caused by mold, mildew and water damage and DepHyze Carpet Cleaner – a cleaner and deodorizer formulated to be extremely resistant to mold and mildew growth.