Eurofins CRL

ASTM E2755 Determining the Bacteria-Eliminating Effectiveness of Healthcare Personnel Hand Rub Formulations Using Hands of Adults

The ASTM E2755 method is designed to evaluate how effectively Healthcare Hand Sanitizers inactivate transient bacteria over all surfaces of the hands and fingers using a process that simulates bacterial exposure and hand rub use in clinical settings. This method may be used instead of the ASTM E2276 methodology, which only uses the fingerpads for testing and does not include a realistic hand rubbing step. The method has been specifically designed for hand rubs (sanitizers, rinses, sprays, foams, and wipes) that are used without soap and water, unlike the ASTM E1174 method which is intended to be used for the evaluation of antimicrobial hand wash products that require water for lathering and rinsing.

ASTM E2755: Procedure At a Glance

This test is conducted using the healthy hands of at least eight study participants who have not used antimicrobial products for at least one week before testing. Following an initial cleansing wash, the participants’ hands are thoroughly contaminated with a test microorganism such as Serratia marcescens or Staphlylococcus aureus and the starting baseline number of microorganisms is determined. After the basline bacterial sampling, participants hands are again subject to a cleansing wash and inoculation. A hand rub product is then applied full strength to dry contaminated hands and the hands are rubbed thoroughly until the product dries. A rinse step is not included. The activity of the product is determined following a single contamination/antiseptic exposure cycle, simulating a situation where hand sanitizers are used only occasionally. To simulate the situation commonly found in clinical settings where hands are repeatedly exposed to microorganisms and where hand sanitizers are used very frequently, the activity may also be determined after ten contamination/antiseptic exposure cycles in one day. The multiple application test also determines if there is any impact on the activity of the hand sanitizer due to a build-up of non-volatile components on the surface of the hands following repeated use. A reference control test procedure may also be included so that the effectiveness of different hand rub products may be compared.

The baseline and surviving microorganisms are recovered using glove or plastic bag methods and the bacteria are enumerated using standard techniques. The average number of microorganisms recovered after each test are calculated. The effectiveness of the hand rub is determined by comparing the number of microorganisms recovered from contaminated hands after the use of the antiseptic product to the number recovered from contaminated hands that were not exposed to a hand rub product.

ASTM E2755: Eurofins CRL’s Expertise

Eurofins CRL was founded in 2017 as a collaborative effort between two specialty contract testing facilities. ECRL combines the expertise derived from its legacy with the innovative methods and quality focus that makes the Eurofins name a leader in third-party testing world-wide. 

Eurofins CRL Is:

A contract testing laboratory designed to support the hand hygiene and infection control industry. Testing is carried out in compliance with current FDA, Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) regulations by skilled, experienced microbiologists and chemists, to quickly meet your project testing goals.