Antibacterial Adversaries
October 21st, 2005 by Sarah WhiteAn FDA advisory commmittee ruled yesterday that antibacterial products are no more effective in preventing the spread of illness than plain old soap and water.
J.J. Wood, M.D., of Vanderbilt, chairman of the FDA’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee, said the committtee was unconvinced by testimony that antibacterial wipes and soaps were any more effective than more traditional methods of cleaning.
It is unclear how the FDA as a whole will react to this decision. It is likely that if any change is made it will be a requirement that products say on the label that they are no more effective than products without antibacterial properties. Some even suggest that the rampant use of antibacterial products is harmful because it leads to resistant bacteria, but it is unlikely such products will be banned.
Simple soap-and-water handwashing was found to reduce the incidence of pneumonia by 50 percent, diarreha by 53 percent and impetigo (a bacterial skin infection) by 34 percent in a CDC study in Pakistan.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are recommended for times when soap and water aren’t available. These products remove bacteria without causing the disease resitance that anti-microbial products seem to.
Sarah White wrote this on October 21st, 2005 and filed it under Healthy Living, Women's Health, Men's Health, Health & Aging |
