Analysis of research showing trace elements of antibacterial ingredients in pregnant women and fetuses is distorting the safety profile of the materials, which have been extensively researched and reviewed for decades, according to the American Cleaning Institute (ACI).
The research in question was presented at American Chemical Society national meeting and reported that trace elements of the antibacterial ingredients triclosan and triclocarban were detected in the urine of pregnant women, as well as some umbilical cord blood samples.
Some of the researchers’ public comments – and well as news media headlines about the research – may mislead the public about the ingredients’ safety, the association says.
“The levels of these ingredients they found are extremely small and are excreted from the body,” says Dr. Paul DeLeo, ACI associate vice president of environmental safety. “There’s a wide margin of safety between these levels and the levels deemed unsafe based on standard safety evaluation. The weight of evidence supports the conclusion that these ingredients are not causing adverse effects on the endocrine system. The continued ‘suggestions’ that the presence of these substances are leading to health risks are not borne out by the data and years of safe use by consumers.”
In comments submitted earlier this year to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the safety of triclosan, ACI wrote: “Triclosan-containing consumer antiseptic wash products play a beneficial role in the daily hygiene routines of millions of people throughout the U.S. and worldwide. They have been and are used safely and effectively in homes, hospitals, schools and workplaces every single day. Furthermore, triclosan and products containing it are regulated by a number of governmental bodies around the world and have a long track record of human and environmental safety which is supported by a multitude of science-based, transparent risk analyses.”
Source: American Cleaning Institute (ACI)
The 90’s Club: A Successful Hand Hygiene Adherence Campaign
July 9th 2024The "90’s SwipeSense Club" significantly improved hand hygiene adherence at Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center. By incentivizing adherence through 1990s-themed rewards and using SwipeSense technology to track hygiene practices, the hospital increased adherence rates from 53% in 2021 to 84% by May 2024.
Hand Hygiene Adherence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Safety Is Universal
July 1st 2024Hebah al Zamel, MSN, CIC, CPHQ, an infection preventionist in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a member of ICT's Editorial Advisory Board, describes how hand hygiene is handled in Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Qasim.
How Emerging Technologies Increase Hand Hygiene Adherence and Reduce Infections
June 24th 2024Health care-associated infections (HAIs) affect over 680,000 patients annually in the U.S. Unlike manual methods, automated hand hygiene monitoring can significantly improve compliance and reduce HAIs.