alcohol wipes

[just keep swimming]

This may be a stupid question but I want the right answer to this one. I work in dialysis and we are taught that prior to cannulation, wipe the site with alcohol and cannulate while still wet. This is policy where I work. When reading on this site, I have seen many posts stating that alcohol needs to dry in order to be effective. I thought it was only betadine that needed to dry. I'm hoping that there is someone out there who knows for sure which is correct....

Thanks!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

In my facility .. the policy is to allow 15 seconds for the alcohol to dry. It is during that 15 seconds that any organisms that are present will die.

[just keep swimming]

I guess in all honesty it would be pretty difficult to cannulate while still wet if you are just using a wipe since it dries so quickly. Wipe, toss the wrapper, uncap needle, and its pretty much dry I guess. Thanks for your response.

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

This is the number one thing that annoys me the most: when I see nurses that wipe for 1 second, I just want to smack them lol. Hellooooo, it is not a magic wipe, you need friction and wipe for at least 15 sec, it's not so hard. gosh....

[doomsayer]

Friction is the important part. :)

Alcohol dries very fast- that is why a 70% solution is indicated, because pure alcohol would dry too fast to do the job correctly.

[just keep swimming]

Thanks for your responses. I get the part about friction, but after that are you to wait for it to dry? I agree about the one line swipe being so annoying though, and how bout when the wipe comes off black and they don't use another one after...ugh!

[AgentBeast, MSN, RN]

Yes, you are to wait for it to dry as that is when the majority of the anti-microbial action takes place.

[doomsayer]

I would clarify the instruction "while it is still wet". Is that common for placing needles or caths? Seems ouchy!