Will Surgeons Cut Out Washing with Soap?

Testing suggests that alcohol is more effective than traditional scrubbing to remove germs on surgeons’ hands before surgery. These findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is expected to influence the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new guidelines on infection control for operating rooms. There are a variety of alcohol wipes being developed for operating room surgeons, but all are based on the use of potent alcohol-based gels.