Hand Sanitizers

Wash your hands early and often. That's standard advice for preventing the flu. But that's not always practical. If hand-washing isn't possible, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests using alcohol-based hand rubs. Studies show that products with sufficient alcohol content are effective at reducing the number of viral and bacterial germs on the hands. These products are also quick and convenient. Note that only hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol are effective.

Attention all obsessive hand sanitizers: If bad design is almost as irritating as rogue bacteria, a potential solution will become available this spring. Jonathan Adler, the king of quirky, Pop home design - and an avid sanitizer, to boot - has created what he's calling the world's first hand antiseptic "cozy. " It's a stylish sleeve that slips over a 12-ounce bottle of Purell. “All of my friends are having babies, and they all have big ugly bottles of sanitizer all over the place.

Hey, hand sanitizers. You can only do so much – and preventing MRSA infection isn’t one of those things -- so stop over-promising! That was the gist of warning letters from the Food and Drug Administration to four makers of the popular products. Apparently, the manufacturers of Staphaseptic, Safe4Hours, Dr. Tichenor’s and CleanWell products had suggested that various gels, protectants and what-not could protect against infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

With flu season likely to ramp up in Los Angeles in coming weeks, health officials and family doctors are trying to get out the word: There are some things you can do to avoid coming down with this year's flu. First, get your immunizations - it's not too late. This year's flu shot protects against three flu strains: two influenza A's (an H1N1, an H3N2) and one influenza B.  These three strains have predominated among infections this year, so it's as good a preventive vaccine as can be expected.

Spoiler alert: If the presence of all those alcohol-based hand sanitizers makes you feel safe from disease, skip this blog post. The sanitizers – Purell, Germ-X and the like – started popping up everywhere last year following the outbreak of the H1N1 “swine flu” virus . But new research out of the University of Virginia finds that they  are of no particular use in warding off the flu. They also failed to ward...

With peanut allergy the third most common allergy in young children and the most common in older kids, teens and adults, there's been considerable discussion of how best to protect allergic people from inadvertent exposure to peanuts. Soap-free hand sanitizers apparently aren't enough.

Silvia Cordero eyed the row of disinfecting gels, soaps and hand sanitizers at a Rite Aid in Culver City with the intensity of a drill sergeant preparing troops for a skirmish with the H1N1 flu virus. "They're going in my car, in my desk at work and in my sons' backpacks," the 28-year-old said. "I don't really like the way any of them feel on my skin, but they might help keep us healthy." Concerns about the contagiousness and severity of the H1N1 flu strain have generated a boom in the hand-sanitizer market.

THE start of the school year often brings sniffles and stomach bugs, but a simple hand cleaner could cut the sickness toll. New research shows that alcohol-based hand sanitizers can significantly reduce the spread of gastrointestinal illness and may also protect against respiratory infections. "Hand sanitizers reduce bacteria counts on hands more than just washing," says Thomas J. Sandora, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Boston who led the research.

Thanks to swine flu, there's a little less hugging and kissing in the United States. About 1 in 10 Americans have stopped hugging and kissing close friends or relatives because of concerns about swine flu, according to a survey released Friday. About the same number have stopped shaking hands. Health officials have emphasized other measures to prevent spread of the virus, such as washing hands and using hand sanitizers. The survey found about two-thirds of Americans are taking such steps.

A broken water pipe outside a Veterans Affairs health clinic caused doctors to cancel about two dozen medical appointments Wednesday, officials of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System said. But doctors and nurses were able to use hand sanitizers and bottled water and see 275 other patients as planned. The water failure was discovered about dawn at the Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center on Plummer Street. Water service was restored about 2:30 p.m., said Jim Duvall, a VA spokesman.

Six teenagers have shown up in two San Fernando Valley emergency rooms in the last few months with alcohol poisoning after drinking hand sanitizer, worrying public health officials who say the cases could signal a dangerous trend. Some of the teenagers used salt to separate the alcohol from the sanitizer, making a potent drink that is similar to a shot of hard liquor. "All it takes is just a few swallows and you have a drunk teenager," said Cyrus Rangan, director of the toxicology bureau for the county public health department and a medical toxicology consultant for Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Hey, hand sanitizers. You can only do so much – and preventing MRSA infection isn’t one of those things -- so stop over-promising! That was the gist of warning letters from the Food and Drug Administration to four makers of the popular products. Apparently, the manufacturers of Staphaseptic, Safe4Hours, Dr. Tichenor’s and CleanWell products had suggested that various gels, protectants and what-not could protect against infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

Spoiler alert: If the presence of all those alcohol-based hand sanitizers makes you feel safe from disease, skip this blog post. The sanitizers – Purell, Germ-X and the like – started popping up everywhere last year following the outbreak of the H1N1 “swine flu” virus . But new research out of the University of Virginia finds that they  are of no particular use in warding off the flu. They also failed to ward...

Silvia Cordero eyed the row of disinfecting gels, soaps and hand sanitizers at a Rite Aid in Culver City with the intensity of a drill sergeant preparing troops for a skirmish with the H1N1 flu virus. "They're going in my car, in my desk at work and in my sons' backpacks," the 28-year-old said. "I don't really like the way any of them feel on my skin, but they might help keep us healthy." Concerns about the contagiousness and severity of the H1N1 flu strain have generated a boom in the hand-sanitizer market.

Wash your hands early and often. That's standard advice for preventing the flu. But that's not always practical. If hand-washing isn't possible, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests using alcohol-based hand rubs. Studies show that products with sufficient alcohol content are effective at reducing the number of viral and bacterial germs on the hands. These products are also quick and convenient. Note that only hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol are effective.

Thanks to swine flu, there's a little less hugging and kissing in the United States. About 1 in 10 Americans have stopped hugging and kissing close friends or relatives because of concerns about swine flu, according to a survey released Friday. About the same number have stopped shaking hands. Health officials have emphasized other measures to prevent spread of the virus, such as washing hands and using hand sanitizers. The survey found about two-thirds of Americans are taking such steps.

With flu season likely to ramp up in Los Angeles in coming weeks, health officials and family doctors are trying to get out the word: There are some things you can do to avoid coming down with this year's flu. First, get your immunizations - it's not too late. This year's flu shot protects against three flu strains: two influenza A's (an H1N1, an H3N2) and one influenza B.  These three strains have predominated among infections this year, so it's as good a preventive vaccine as can be expected.

'Tis the season to cough and sneeze. During this time of year, a lot of sick kids show up at school, spreading their germs. Is there anything you can do to keep yourself healthy? The most important step you can take to protect yourself is easy: "Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands," advises Donald Shifrin, a professor and kids' doctor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Germs can invade your body when you rub your eyes or touch your nose or mouth.

On the subways of Milan, Paris and New York, a telltale sign that you're in the company of an honest-to-goodness male model -- besides his impossibly good looks -- is the ubiquitous backpack. Never a briefcase or a rolling bag, it's usually a soft-sided athletic number a little larger than a car battery, with two straps, one of which is slung ever so casually over a shoulder.

A broken water pipe outside a Veterans Affairs health clinic caused doctors to cancel about two dozen medical appointments Wednesday, officials of the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System said. But doctors and nurses were able to use hand sanitizers and bottled water and see 275 other patients as planned. The water failure was discovered about dawn at the Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center on Plummer Street. Water service was restored about 2:30 p.m., said Jim Duvall, a VA spokesman.