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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05210920

RBG: Regular, Bare, Gel: Does Type of Nail Polish Affect Bacterial Counts After Surgical Scrubbing?

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate if type of nail polish (gel polish or regular polish) has an effect on the number of bacterial colonies on finger nails after surgical scrubbing.

Participants: The potential participants are healthcare providers with patient interaction. Exclusion criteria include evidence of active dermatitis or other skin abnormalities, or allergy to chlorhexidine.

Intervention: Participants will have gel nail polish applied to one finger of their dominant hand, and regular polish applied to another finger of their dominant hand. Bacterial swabs will be collected from these two fingers, as well as the from the adjacent finger with no nail polish. Specimen collection will occur both before and after scrubbing with surgical soap. Bacterial counts will be compared between the three groups to determine the association between the presence of nail polish and nail polish type on bacterial counts after surgical scrubbing. Specimen collection will not take place during scrubbing for actual patient care.

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Key information

Conditions

Bacterial Infections Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Contaminated Medical or Biological Substances Infections Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Postoperative Complications Surgical Site Infection Surgical Wound Infection Wound Infection

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

UNC Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, United States

About this study

Potential participants will be identified by word of mouth, flyers and institutional networking. Once a participant agrees to enroll, they will have each type of nail polish placed on a single finger on their dominant hand (gel on one finger and regular polish on another). A third finger will be left bare to serve as a control. On day 1-3 after nail polish application, the participant will have cotton swab samples taken from underneath their nail and over their nail bed, on each of the two polished nails, as well as the adjacent bare nail. These bacterial samples will be collected both before and after scrubbing (utilizing a nail pick, scrub brush, and chlorhexidine). This process will be repeat on day 5-7 after nail polish application. These samples will then be assessed for bacterial colonies in the Microbiology laboratory. Participant variables will be recorded in RedCap (scrubbing frequency, % of chipping in nails (in quartiles: 0, < 25%, < 50%, <75%, >75%, Gender, Age, Level of training, Specialty, Type of polish, Dominant hand, Duration since application of polish, Nail length in mm, Race, BMI, Type of bacteria isolated from samples).

Summary of Study Visits:

Day 0 Participants will have polish applied on two fingers on their dominant hand, one with gel polish and one with regular polish.

Day 1-3 The participants will return for their first swabs. Bacterial swabs will be obtained from the nail bed and under the fingernail of 3 fingers: the regular polish nail, the gel polish nail and a bare nail adjacent to the two polished nails, before and after a standard 5-minute scrub with chlorhexidine.

Day 5-7 The participants will return for the same procedure described above. The nail polish can be removed after this intervention. No further follow-up or involvement for participants

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthcare provider who provides patient care

Exclusion criteria

  • Active dermatitis or other skin abnormality
  • Allergy to chlorhexidine scrub soap

Treatment and study plan

Nail polish application

Other

After application of nail polish as described, participants will have bacterial swabs collected from the under the fingernail and from the nail bed of the three assigned fingers on their dominant hand, both before and after scrubbing with a chlorhexidine surgical scrubbing brush.

Primary outcomes

  1. Bacterial Counts Before Scrubbing Day 1-3

    Time frame: 1-3 days after polish application

    Bacterial colony counts will be measured from each swab obtained from the three types of fingernails (regular polish, gel polish, bare nail).

  2. Bacterial Counts After Scrubbing Day 1-3

    Time frame: 1-3 days after polish application

    Bacterial colony counts will be measured from each swab obtained from the three types of fingernails (regular polish, gel polish, bare nail).

  3. Bacterial Counts Before Scrubbing Day 5-7

    Time frame: 5-7 days after polish application

    Bacterial colony counts will be measured from each swab obtained from the three types of fingernails (regular polish, gel polish, bare nail).

  4. Bacterial Counts After Scrubbing Day 5-7

    Time frame: 5-7 days after polish application

    Bacterial colony counts will be measured from each swab obtained from the three types of fingernails (regular polish, gel polish, bare nail).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Percent of nail polish flaking (%) Day 1-3

    Time frame: 1-3 days after polish application

    Percent of nail polish flaking (%) will be measured for each type of polish

  2. Percent of nail polish flaking (%) Day 5-7

    Time frame: 5-7 days after polish application

    Percent of nail polish flaking (%) will be measured for each type of polish

  3. Nail growth (mm) Day 1-3

    Time frame: 1-3 days after polish application

    Nail growth (mm) will be measured for each group

  4. Nail growth (mm) Day 5-7

    Time frame: 5-7 days after polish application

    Nail growth (mm) will be measured for each group

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Other

Registry information

Acronym: RBG

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Jan 27, 2022
Registry last updated
Aug 4, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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