SOURCE: GOJO
The PURELL® brand offers a holistic solution that reduces germs in athletic training rooms
AKRON, Ohio (June 2019) – GOJO, the inventor of PURELL® hand sanitizer and a global leader in hand hygiene solutions, is launching the “PURELL SOLUTION for Athletic Facilities” at the upcoming National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) conference in Orlando and the National Athletic Trainer Association (NATA) conference in Las Vegas.
Staff and patients in hospitals are in constant close contact with each other and the surfaces around them. So for decades hospitals have relied on evidence-based infection control and prevention guidelines to improve quality and decrease disease transmission. Like patients and medical staff in a hospital, student-athletes constantly interact in close quarters. Therefore, athletic facilities naturally present a higher risk for transmitting diseases such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), influenza and norovirus.1
In fact, U.S. collegiate athletes are almost twice as likely (13 percent) as patients in an intensive care unit (7 percent) to carry MRSA on their skin without showing any sign of infection.2 This makes these athletes 7.3 times more likely to experience a subsequent infection within 3 months.
Athletes are familiar with the risk of musculoskeletal injuries their chosen sport brings – it’s common to read news headlines about a star athlete side-lined during the season with a concussion or a torn ACL. Multi-drug resistant infections such as MRSA and vancomycin resistant enterococcus (VRE), are lesser known, but equally as threatening opponents to athletes.
One study showed that implementing a standardized infection control program for high school and collegiate athletic training rooms – as are standard in the highly regulated hospital environment – that includes products and placement guides alone resulted in over 60 percent reduction in total bacteria. Whereas, the same study showed that a comprehensive solution that includes disinfectant products, protocols and educational resources, led to a 95 percent reduction in total bacteria, while antibiotic-resistant bacteria, like MRSA and VRE, were reduced from 13 percent to 0 percent.3
At the beginning of the study, influenza was detected on 25 percent of the analyzed surfaces, including front door handles, drawer handles, water bottle lids and water cooler nozzles. After the implementation of the program, no influenza was detected on these surfaces.4
“The PURELL SOLUTION for Athletic Facilities combines the strength of our trusted PURELL® products, with proven methods of infection control and prevention, and concise educational materials so the athlete, athletic trainer, coach, athletic director and facility manager can all work together to provide a safe environment so athletes can stay healthy and in the game,” said Amanda Kaye, GOJO Market Development Director.
After overcoming stress fractures in her back, a torn Achilles and ACL, Tori Kinamon, a former student athlete at Brown University, would never have guessed that the most serious risk to her collegiate athletic career could begin with a simple cut. Kinamon contracted MRSA during her freshman year as a gymnast. After eight surgeries and more than six months away from her sport, she finally overcame this devastating illness.
“What started out as a dull ache in my left hamstring became acutely painful one day while I was sitting in my dorm room talking to my mom on the phone,” Kinamon said. “Over the next few days the pain became nearly unbearable; my leg became red, swollen, and warm to the touch, and I had the onset of flu-like symptoms. It took doctors a while to diagnose that I had MRSA, as I didn’t have the typical symptoms of infection, such as a suspicious cut with pus or drainage. By the time I was done with eight surgeries to remove the spreading infection, the initial two-inch incision became a two-foot scar along the back of my leg.”
After graduating Brown with a degree in Health and Human Biology, Kinamon became an advocate for infection prevention in collegiate athletic facilities, and is pursuing a medical degree. She is working with the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network on a project to standardize infection prevention and control procedures in high school and collegiate athletic settings. Kinamon has partnered with the PURELL® brand to share her story and to promote better infection prevention in athletic facilities across the U.S.
“As a former student athlete and MRSA survivor, this program is extremely exciting to me,” Kinamon said. “The PURELL SOLUTIONTM changes the risk environment. It makes it easy for athletes to consistently follow infection prevention recommendations, offered by organizations such as the CDC and Duke Infection Control Outreach Network.” PURELL soap, sanitizer and surface disinfectant are tough on germs but gentle on skin, equipment and technology. The power of the PURELL® brand also enhances your image by showing you care enough to provide the very best. 80 percent of people said they had a more positive impression of a facility when PURELL® products are made available.5 PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer is America’s #1 instant hand sanitizer6 and kills more than 99.99% of most common germs that may cause illness. It outperforms other hand sanitizers ounce-for-ounce.7
PURELL® HEALTHY SOAP® is a exceptionally mild, fragrance-free, green-certified foam hand soap. It helps wash away dirt and germs, and is dye and fragrance-free.
PURELL® Surface Disinfectant is a one-step disinfectant and cleaner with a fresh citrus scent that is powerful enough to kill norovirus and MRSA in 30, and is proven effective across most hard and soft surfaces, while no rinse is required. It holds the coveted EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) Certification, and as it contains no harsh chemicals, no handwashing is required after use.
Visit GOJO.com/Athletics to learn more about keeping your athletic facility healthy, read more of Kinamon’s story, and download a product placement map for the athletic training room, as well as posters to remind athletes to do their part in preventing MRSA. Email [email protected] to find out how to have a PURELL SOLUTIONTM for Athletic Facility consultation about infection prevention at your athletic facility.
Stop by our booth #500 at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) conference June 10-11 or our booth #3632 at the National Athletic Trainer Association (NATA) conference June 24-27. Talk to our subject matter experts about the PURELL SOLUTIONTM for Athletic Facilities or to Tori Kinamon about her real-life experience with MRSA. Ask about our specially formulated products, which also include hand sanitizing wipes, shower soaps, touch-free floor stands and a variety of dispensers, including energy-on-the-refill options for maintenance ease.
About GOJO GOJO, the inventor of PURELL® Hand Sanitizer, is the leading global producer and marketer of skin health and hygiene solutions for away-from-home settings. The broad GOJO product portfolio includes hand cleaning, handwashing, hand sanitizing, skin care formulas and surface sprays under the GOJO®, PURELLTM and PROVON® brand names. GOJO formulations use the latest advances in the science of skin care and sustainability. GOJO is known for state-of-the-art dispensing technology, engineered with attention to design, sustainability, and functionality. GOJO programs promote healthy behaviors for hygiene, skin care and compliance in critical environments. GOJO is a family enterprise headquartered in Akron, Ohio, with operations in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Japan, Mexico, and Canada. Learn more about GOJO.
1. Anderson, D. and Sexton, D. (2018). The DICON Program for Infection Prevention in the National Football League. Duke Infection Control Outreach Network.
2. Karanika, Styliani, Tori Kinamon, Christos Grigoras, Eleftherios Mylonakis. Colonization With Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus and Risk for Infection Among Asymptomatic Athletes: A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis.
Clinical Infectious Diseases, 63, no. 2, (2016): 195–204, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciw240
3. 2018 Collaborative study with University Hospitals; Submission for peer-reviewed publication underway.
4. 2018 Collaborative study with University Hospitals; Submission for peer-reviewed publication underway.
5. GOJO Industries, Inc., External Market Research, Study # 007-021, 2014.
6. GOJO Industries, Inc., Market Research - External Market Research, 2017 PURELL Hand Sanitizer HPIS Data, 1 July 2018.
7. Healthcare Personnel Handwash Study #110103-101, April 5, 2011, and #100907-101, Jan 6th, 2011, BioScience
Laboratories, Bozeman, MT.
