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Escherichia Coli ChangeSupertowelNCT04312334

Improving the Supertowel: An Alternative Hand Cleaning Product for Emergencies

A study testing Treatment in people with Escherichia Coli Change, run by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine at 1 site in India.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The Supertowel is a microfiber towel treated with a permanent anti-microbial bonding and has been designed as a soap alternative in emergency situations.The treated fabric must be dipped in water and then rubbed against the hands so that pathogens will be transferred to the fabric where they will be killed. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Escherichia Coli Change
What is being tested?
Treatment
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
32 participants
Where
1 siteIndia
Study dates
25 Feb 2020to 30 May 2020
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • Men only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • To be eligible volunteers must:
  • Be male and older than 18 years old.
  • Be physically examined to ensure they are healthy and with healthy skin (without skin disorders like eczema, paronychia, scabies, abrasions, lacerations or skin allergy).
  • Have short fingernails with no artificial nails.
  • Have no history of drug allergy.
  • Nothave taken any systemic antibiotic in the two weeks prior to the study, which could otherwise impair the efficacy of the product being tested.
  • Remove all forms of jewellery from their hands prior to hand washing, since it has the potential of retain some bacteria, which could affect the recovery pre and post values of the test.

Who cannot join

  • Unhealthy volunteers and volunteers with unhealthy skin, history of drug allergy, taken systemic antibiotics in the previous two weeks of the study will be excluded from the study.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

India1 site
  • KETs Scientific Research Centre

    Mumbai, 400 081

Other trials in India

About this study

The Supertowel is a microfiber towel treated with a permanent anti-microbial bonding and has been designed as a soap alternative in emergency situations.The treated fabric must be dipped in water and then rubbed against the hands so that pathogens will be transferred to the fabric where they will be killed. Over the last two years the investigators have been able to prove, under controlled laboratory conditions, that hand cleaning with the Supertowel is more efficacious than handwashing soap and water. Another field study conducted by the investigators in a refugee camp in Northern Ethiopia indicated that the Supertowel is an acceptable and desirable product among crisis-affected populations and is likely to result in more frequent handwashing in these difficult circumstances.

The aim of this study is to develop greater evidence on whether the Supertowel remains is as efficacious when used under conditions which mimic "real-world hand cleaning conditions". This will be tested through a set of controlled laboratory experiments with healthy volunteers in India.

Read the detailed description

The Supertowel is a microfiber towel treated with a permanent anti-microbial bonding and has been designed as a soap alternative in emergency situations.

The treated fabric must be dipped in water and then rubbed against the hands so that pathogens will be transferred to the fabric where they will be killed. Several laboratory test have demonstrated the bactericidal effect of the fabric against different bacteria. The Supertowel will kill microbes efficiently and within seconds once the microbe is on the towel. The Supertowel provides an alternative to large-scale soap distribution. It could be beneficial to emergency responders as it will be easier (smaller and lighter) to distribute and last longer than soap, negating the need for frequent distributions. The Supertowel will reduce water wastage associated with hand washing and reduce drainage problems that are often seen around hand washing facilities. The Supertowel will also be beneficial to those effected by emergencies as it can easily be carried by users all the time, making hand cleaning more convenient.

Over the last two years the investigators have been able to prove, under controlled laboratory conditions, that hand cleaning with the Supertowel is more efficacious than handwashing soap and water. Another field study conducted by the investigators in a refugee camp in Northern Ethiopia indicated that the Supertowel is an acceptable and desirable product among crisis-affected populations and is likely to result in more frequent handwashing in these difficult circumstances.

The aim of this study is to develop greater evidence on whether the Supertowel remains is as efficacious when used under conditions which mimic "real-world hand cleaning conditions". This will be tested through a set of controlled laboratory experiments with healthy volunteers in India. We will be testing the efficacy of the Supertowel as a hand-cleaning product using simulations of 'real-world' hand cleaning conditions.

To test the efficacy of the Supertowel under the different conditions, we will use a crossover controlled study based and adapted on the protocol of the European Committee for Standardization (EN 1499) which is designed to evaluate the ability of hand-wash agents to eliminate transient pathogens from volunteers' hands without regard to resident microorganisms. This procedure is based on the "post-contamination treatment" of hands and involves the placement of the test organism (E. coli [ATCC 11229]) on the hands of test subjects, followed by exposure of the test product.

The study will be organized in two rounds of tests. 32 healthy volunteers will be selected for the study. 16 volunteers will be invited for the first round and 16 more for the second round. Each volunteer will receive treatment with all the different procedures the same day of visit to the laboratory.

This is a single centre study conducted in KET's Scientific Research Centre, Mumbai (India). The recruitment and performance of tests will be done at KET's Scientific Research Centre, Mumbai (India) Laboratory of India.

Being tested
Control, Treatment
Keywords
Escherichia Coli change, Hand-washing, Emergency settings, Hand-cleaning, Hygiene

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • ControlOther

    Also called Hand-cleaning with Supertowel or hand-washing with soap

    Soap: Non-antimicrobial bar soap will be used as a reference product for four of the the experiments. Hand-cleaning with SuperTowel will be the reference produce for two of the experiments.

  • TreatmentOther

    Also called Treatment with SupeTowel

    The Supertowel is a durable fabric with a permanent anti-microbial treatment. The treated fabric must be dipped in water and then rubbed against the hands so that pathogens will be transferred to the fabric where they will be killed.

Study groups in NCT04312334
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Treatment 1ExperimentalTreatment 1: Hand cleaning with the Supertowel for 15 seconds. The Supertowel will be soaked in water by submersing it completely in a bucket filled with tap water. The amount of water absorbed by the ST will be recorded by means of weighing the towel before and after soaking. The volunteers will use the soaked Supertowel for 15 seconds to clean their pre-contaminated hands.
Receives: Other: Treatment
Treatment 2ExperimentalTreatment 2: Hand cleaning with a Supertowel that is damp for 60 seconds The Supertowel will be soaked in water by submersing it completely in a bucket filled with tap water. The water on the Supertowel will then be squeezed out so that it is not dripping. The Supertowel will be weighed before soaking and after squeezing. Volunteers will clean their pre-contaminated hands with the damp Supertowel for 60 seconds.
Receives: Other: Treatment
Treatment 3ExperimentalTreatment 3: Hand cleaning for 60 seconds with a Supertowel that has been soaked in contaminated water. A Supertowel will be soaked in water which has artificially contaminated with non-pathogenic E.coli. The water will be designed to mimic highly contaminated grey water so it will be contaminated at 2,000 cfu/100 ml which is double the acceptable level of contamination for handwashing. Volunteers will clean their pre-contaminated hands with the contaminated Supertowel for 60 seconds.
Receives: Other: Treatment
Treatment 4ExperimentalTreatment 4: Hand cleaning for 60 seconds with a Supertowel that is visibly dirty and oily. The Supertowel will be made visibly dirty and oily for example, by immersing it in a mix of 10 grams of sterile soil (previously autoclaved), 1 ml of clean cooking oil and 100 ml of water .The Supertowel will be rubbed against itself to ensure the soil and oil are spread out across the surface of the Supertowel. Volunteers will clean their pre-contaminated hands with the dirty Supertowel for 60 seconds.
Receives: Other: Treatment
Treatment 5ExperimentalTreatment 5: Hand cleaning for 30 seconds with a Supertowel that is visibly dirty and oily and it is soaked in whater which has artificially contaminated with non-pathogenic E.coli. The Supertowel will be made visibly dirty and oily for example, by immersing it in a mix of 10 grams of sterile soil (previously autoclaved), 1 ml of clean cooking oil and 100 ml of water (which will be contaminated with E.coli).The Supertowel will be rubbed against itself to ensure the soil and oil are spread out across the surface of the Supertowel. Volunteers will clean their pre-contaminated hands with the dirty Supertowel for 30 seconds.
Receives: Other: Treatment
Treatment 6ExperimentalTreatment 6: Hand cleaning with the Supertowel which is fully dry for 60 seconds.
Receives: Other: Treatment
Control 1OtherControl 1: Hand washing with bar soap and water for 15 seconds. The control group will wash their pre-contaminated hands with normal bar soap and water for 15 seconds. Hands from volunteers washed with soap will be allowed to dry for 3 minutes.
Receives: Other: Control
Control 2OtherControl 2: Handwashing with bar soap and water for 60 seconds The control group will wash their pre-contaminated hands with normal bar soap and water for 60 seconds by following the "WHO guidelines for handwashing when hands are visibly soiled" (a diagram of the steps was given to them, appendix). After handwashing, hands will be allowed to dry for 3 minutes
Receives: Other: Control
Control 3OtherControl 3: Handwashing with bar soap and contaminated water for 60 seconds. Water which is contaminated with non-pathogenic E.coli. at 2,000 cfu/100ml will be stored in a bucket which has a tap at the base. The control group volunteers will wash their hands with the contaminated water and bar soap for 60 seconds. They will follow the "WHO guidelines for handwashing when hands are visibly soiled" (a diagram of the steps will be given to them). After handwashing, hands will be allowed to dry for 3 minutes.
Receives: Other: Control
Control 4OtherControl 4: Hand cleaning for 60 seconds with a clean Supertowel. The Supertowel will be soaked in water by submersing it completely in a bucket filled with tap water. The amount of water absorbed by the ST will be recordedby means of weighing the Supertowel before and after soaking. The control group will clean their pre-contaminated hands of with thesoaked Supertowel for 60 seconds.
Receives: Other: Treatment
Control 5OtherHand washing with bar soap and water for 30 seconds. The control group will wash their pre-contaminated hands with normal bar soap and water for 30 seconds. Hands from volunteers washed with soap will be allowed to dry for 3 minutes.
Receives: Other: Control

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change of E.coli

    Reduction of bacteria (E.coli (ATCC 11229)) in pre-contaminated hands of volunteers after using the different test conditions. This procedure is based on the "post-contamination" treatment of hands and involves the placement of the test organism (E.coli (ATCC 11229)) on the hands of test subjects, followed by exposure of the test product. For both the Supertowel product or soap treatments, log10 counts from left and right hands of each subject were averaged separately, for both pre- and post-values. The arithmetic means of all individuals log10 changes values will be calculated.

    Measured: 24 hours

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted18 Mar 2020
  2. Study start25 Feb 2020
  3. Primary completion30 Apr 2020
  4. Study completion30 May 2020

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Model description
To test the efficacy of the Supertowel under the different conditions, we will use a crossover controlled study based and adapted on the protocol of the European Committee for Standardization (EN 1499) which is designed to evaluate the ability of hand-wash agents to eliminate transient pathogens from volunteers' hands without regard to resident microorganisms. This procedure is based on the "post-contamination treatment" of hands and involves the placement of the test organism (E. coli \[ATCC 11229\]) on the hands of test subjects, followed by exposure of the test product.The study will be organized in two rounds of tests.
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
32 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04312334
Sponsor's protocol ID
LSHTM ethics ref: 18006
Acronym
Supertowel
Status last verified
Mar 2020
First submitted
12 Mar 2020
Last updated
5 Jun 2020
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Once we have the results analyzed and published we are happy to share the results with other interested researchers.

Publications

  • Torondel B, Khan R, Holm Larsen T, White S. Efficacy of the SuperTowel(R): An Alternative Hand-washing Product for Humanitarian Emergencies. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2019 May;100(5):1278-1284. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.18-0860.

    PubMed 30860009
  • White S, Petz JF, Desta K, Holm Larsen T. Could the Supertowel be used as an alternative hand cleaning product for emergencies? An acceptability and feasibility study in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. PLoS One. 2019 May 6;14(5):e0216237. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216237. eCollection 2019.

    PubMed 31059540

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Treatment in people with Escherichia Coli Change, run by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine at 1 site in India.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Jun 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in India. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change of E.coli (time frame: 24 hours). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04312334, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Jun 2020.

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