RT Journal Article T1 Alcohol-Based Chlorhexidine and Potassium Sorbate Rub Strengthens the Effectiveness of Traditional Hand Scrubbing and Improves Long-Lasting Effectiveness—Evaluation of Hand Preparation Protocols According to EN 12791 A1 Herráiz Soria, Elena A1 Alou Cervera, Luis A1 Martin Villa, Carlos A1 Becerro De Bengoa Vallejo, Ricardo A1 Losa Iglesias, Marta A1 Sevillano Fernández, David A2 Simões, Manuel AB Despite the advantages of surgical handrub in terms of the ease of application and effectiveness, chlorhexidine (CHG)-based hand scrubbing remains the preferred method for surgical hand preparation. However, it does not systematically meet the non-inferiority requirement of the European norm (EN) 12791 with respect to n-propanol (the reference product) and does not provide the sustained efficacy expected for these long-lasting agents. Commercially available alcohol-based products have also failed to demonstrate sustained efficacy according to EN 12791. Multi-step protocols enhance the efficacy of hand scrubbing, yet their extended disinfection duration might diminish their allure for healthcare professionals. In this study, we show that hand scrubbing with CHG 4% followed by a 1 min rubbing with the novel formulation of ethanol (Et) 70%/CHG 3% plus 0.3% potassium sorbate food additive (PS) meets the non-inferiority requirement and demonstrates sustained efficacy when tested according to EN 12791. The immediate and 3 h effect of this protocol was significantly higher than that of n-propanol and the homologous disinfection protocol without PS (CHG 4% hand scrub plus Et 70%/CHG 3% rub), demonstrating that the inclusion of PS confers a notable residual effect. We speculate that this non-volatile ingredient acts synergistically with CHG. This promising combination represents an alternative method for the development of new disinfection strategies. PB MDPI SN 2079-6382 YR 2024 FD 2024-05-20 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/104400 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/104400 LA eng NO Herráiz Soria E, Alou L, Martin-Villa C, Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo R, Losa-Iglesias M, Sevillano D. Alcohol-Based Chlorhexidine and Potassium Sorbate Rub Strengthens the Effectiveness of Traditional Hand Scrubbing and Improves Long-Lasting Effectiveness—Evaluation of Hand Preparation Protocols According to EN 12791. Antibiotics. 2024; 13(5):470. DS Docta Complutense RD 8 abr 2025