Effectiveness of Handwashing with Antiseptic Soap and Running Water in Reducing Bacterial Colony Counts on Hands

Abstract

Hand hygiene is one of the most effective measures for preventing the transmission of infectious diseases. Hands contaminated with bacteria can serve as a vehicle for disease transmission, particularly among Medical Laboratory Technology students who frequently perform laboratory practical activities and are at a higher risk of exposure to microorganisms. This study aimed to determine the difference in the number of bacteria on the hands before and after handwashing using running water and antiseptic soap among Medical Laboratory Technology students at the Health Polytechnic of the Ministry of Health Surabaya. This study employed a comparative research design using a two-group pretest–posttest approach. A total of 30 students were randomly assigned into two treatment groups. Bacterial samples were collected using the hand swab method before and after each handwashing intervention and cultured on Nutrient Agar media to determine bacterial colony counts. Data were analyzed using the Independent Samples t-test with a significance level of 5%. Handwashing with running water alone reduced the bacterial count by an average of 53.3 CFU (63.7%). In contrast, handwashing with antiseptic soap reduced the bacterial count by an average of 87 CFU (99%). The Independent Samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the two handwashing methods (p = 0.003), indicating that antiseptic soap was significantly more effective than running water alone. Handwashing with antiseptic soap is significantly more effective than handwashing with running water alone in reducing the number of bacteria on the hands of Medical Laboratory Technology students. These findings support the routine use of antiseptic soap as an effective infection prevention measure, particularly in laboratory settings.