• Antiseptics are the agents, which are used to inhibit or kill the microbes on
living tissue. These agents are applied topically on skin, mucous
membranes, or wounds.
• Disinfectants are the chemical agents, which are used to inhibit or kill the
microbes on inanimate objects such as surgical instruments/tables, floor
etc. These agents should never be applied on living tissue.
• Sterilizing agents are the chemical agents used to completely kill all forms
of microorganisms (vegetative and dormant forms).
PROPERTIES
The Properties of an Ideal Antiseptic/Disinfectant
• It should have cidal effect against all pathogens(bacteria, fungi, virus,
protozoa).
• It should be sporicidal also.
• It should be chemically stable.
• It should be economical and affordable.
• It should be easily available at all times. It should be non-staining.
• It should be odorless or with tolerable odor.
• It should require brief time of exposure for its cidal effect and should
have sustained protection.
• It should be active even in the presence of blood, pus, exudates and
excreta.
• It should be non-irritating to tissues, should not delay healing.
• It should be non-absorbable, and if absorbed, should produce
minimum toxicity. It should be non-sensitizing or non allergic type..
CLASSIFICATION OF ANTISEPTICS/DISINFECTANTS
- Phenol derivatives: Phenol, Cresol, Hexylresorcinol, Chloroxylenol,
Hexachlorophene.
- Oxidizing agents: Pot. permangnate, Hydrogen peroxide, Benzoyl peroxide,
Ethylene oxide(ETO), Low temperature gas plasma, Ozone sterilization.
-Halogens:lodine, lodophores, Chlorine, Chlorophores.
-Biguanide: Chlorhexidine.
-Quaternary ammonium(Cationic): Cetrimide,Benzalkonium chloride, Dequalinium
chloride.
Soaps: of Sodium and Potassium.
-Alcohols: Ethanol, Isopropanol. Aldehydes: Formaldehyde,
Glutaraldehyde.
-Acids: Boric acid, Acetic acid.
-Metallic salts: Silver nitrate, Silversulfadiazine, Zincsulfate, Zinc oxide.
-Dyes: Gentian violet, Acriflavine, Proflavine.
-Furan derivative: Nitrofurazone.
Phenol (Carbolic Acid)
• It is one of the earliest and relatively weak antiseptic agent having poor action on bacterial
spores.
•It can cause skin burns at higher concentrations.
• It acts by disrupting bacterial membranes and denaturing bacterial proteins.
• It is used to disinfect urine, feces, pus, and sputum of patients.
• It is static at 0.2% and microbicidal at >1% concentration.
Cresol
• It is a methyl derivative of phenol.
• It is three to ten times more active than phenol but, less damaging to
tissues.
• It is used for washing hands, disinfection of utensils and excreta.
• Lysol is a 50% soapy emulsion of cresol.
Hexylresorcinol
• It is a more potent derivative of the phenolic compound
resorcinol.
• It is odorless and non staining.
• It is used as mouthwash, lozenge and as antifungal.
Chloroxylenol
• It is non irritating to intact skin, but efficacy is reduced.
• in the presence of organic matter.
• It is poorly water soluble and loose activity if diluted with water and
kept for a long time, Commonly, it is used for Washing hands (4.8 %
solution)
• Skin cream and soap (0.8%) ,Lubricating obstetric cream (1.4%)
Mouthwash
Hexachlorophene
• It inhibits bacterial enzymes and causes cell lysis at higher concentration.
• It is non-staining, non irritating and odorless (rather good deodorant also).
• Its activity is reduced in presence of organic matter.
• It does not kill spores and Gram-negative bacteria.
• The degerming action is slow but persistent due to deposition on the skin as a fine film that is not
removed by rinsing with water.
• It is commonly incorporated in soap and othe cleansing antiseptics for surgical scrub.
• Not used in concentration >2% as some cases premature neonatal brain damage have occurred USA
around 1970.
OXIDIZING AGENTS
Potassium Permanganate
• Potassium permangnate acts as an oxidizing antiseptic Its crystals are purple in color
and are readily soluble in water.
• When dissolved in water, it liberates nascent oxygen that oxidizes bacterial protoplasm.
• It is less popular as higher concentration can cause burns and blisters.
It is mainly used as disinfectant in different dilutions 1/20 dilution for hand wash, 1/5000
dilution for mouthwash and 1/10000-1/30000 dilution for urethral and vaginal lavage.
It is also used to disinfect and deodorize the waterd ponds and wells.
It is used as an antidote for stomach wash in morphine poisoning in 0.1-0.3%
concentration. It is not good for disinfection of surgical instruments
it promotes rusting.
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• It is a colorless watery liquid and loses It liberates nascent oxygen on
coming in contact with keeping for a longer time. tissues, which
oxidizes necrotic matter and bacteria potency
• Catalase enzyme is present in tissues, which speeds up decomposition
resulting in foaming and helps in loosening and removing slough,
earwax, etc.
• It is used for cleaning dirty wounds and abscess cavities.
• It can also be used to disinfect contact lenses, plastic implants, and
surgical prosthesis etc. It is sporicidal in a concenteration of 10-20%.
• Benzoyl Peroxide
• It is specifically active against P. acnes and used on acne vulgaris.
• It should only be applied on the surface of acne, because it causes
skin irritation, marked scaling, erythma, and contact sensitization.
• It shoue be applied in 5-10% conc. in a form of cream/ gel/lotion.
Ethylene Oxide (ETO)
It is the most common form of chemical sterilization. ./
It has lethal effects on proteins and DNA of bacteria.
It is also sporicidal and virucidal. It is highly inflammable.
Therefore, it is generally mixed with carbon dioxide.
It is used to sterilize heat sensitive plastics, petri dishes, catheterization
equipments and plastic syringes etc.
Low Temperature Gas Plasma
It is an alternate to ETO.
It is used with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O) for generation
of free radicals, which kills microorganisms.
• Ozone Sterilization
• It is a new technique of sterilization, recently approved
• by the US. . In this technique, the oxygen is converted to atomic
oxygen, which binds to another oxygen molecule and forms ozone.
• It destroys many pathogens and prions.
• It is used to treat foods such as meat, eggs, and poultry.
• It is also used to disinfectant water and sewage.
• HALOGENS
• Halogens are strong oxidizing agents; they include iodine, chlorine, and
fluorine.
• lodine
• lodine is an microbicidal agent and acts by iodinating and oxidizing
microbial protoplasm.
• It acts very fast and a 1:20,000 solution kills most vegetative forms
within 1 minute. Higher concentration and longer duration of contact
kills the bacterial spores also.
• Germicidal action decreases in the presence of organic matter.
• It is used for degerming skin before surgery and on cuts.
• Some individuals are hypersensitive to iodine. Rashes can occur.
lodophores
• These are non-irritating, non-toxic and non-staining
• forms of iodine. Hence, the treated areas can be bandaged or occluded without
risk of blistering. These exert prolonged germicidal action.
• These are soluble complexes of lodine and serve as carriers of iodine and release
free iodine slowly.
• The most popular one is Povidone (Polyvinylpyrrol idone) iodine.
• It is used for surgical scrubbing, disinfection of endoscopes and instruments. It is
also used on boils, furunculosis, burns, otitis. externa, ulcers, tinea, monilial,
trichomonal and nonspecific vaginitis.
• Its different preparations are Povidone iodine 5% solu tion, 5% ointment, 7.5%
scrub solution, 200 mg vaginal pessary, Piodin 10% solution, 10% cream, 1%
mouthwash and 5% spray.
Chlorine
Chlorine is a rapidly acting potent germicide and kills.
most pathogens. It is used to disinfect urban water supplies at 0.1-0.25
ppm concentration.
'Chlorine demand' of water: The organic matter binds to chlorine and
excess chlorine has to be added to obtain free chlorine concentration
of 0.2-0.4 ppm: (parts per million). The chlorine demand of water is
measured by Horrock's apparatus,
Chlorophores
Chlorine is a gas and difficult to provide as such for routine use, chlorophores are used instead.
Chlorophores are compounds that slowly release hypochlorous acid (HOCI) and then liberate free chlorine for
the action. These are used in preference to gaseous chlorine because of ease of handling.
Some of the important chlorophores are as follows:
Chlorinated Lime (Bleaching Powder)
It is obtained by the action of chlorine on lime; resulting in a mixture of calcium chloride and calcium
hypochlorite. On exposure, it decomposes releasing 30-35% W/W chlorine.
It is used as disinfectant for drinking water, swimming
pools and sanitizer for toilets etc.
Sodium Hypochlorite Solution
It is a powerful disinfectant and contains 4-6% sodium
PHENOLS
Phenol (Carbolic Acid)
It is one of the earliest and relatively weak antiseptic agent having poor action on bacterial
spores.
It is a general protoplasmic poison and damages both
microbes and tissue cells alike.
It can cause skin burns at higher concentrations. It acts by disrupting bacterial membranes
and
denaturing bacterial proteins.
It is used to disinfect urine, feces, pus, and sputum of patients. It is static at 0,2% and
microbicidal at >1% concentration.
Chloroxylenol
. It is non irritating to intact skin, but efficacy is reduced
in the presence of organic matter.
. It is poorly water soluble and loose activity if diluted
with water and kept for a long time.
. Commonly, it is used for Washing hands (4.8% solution)
• Skin cream and soap (0.8%)
• Lubricating obstetric cream (1.4%)
. Mouthwash
Hexachlorophene
. It inhibits bacterial enzymes and causes cell lysis at higher concentration.
. It is non-staining, non irritating and odorless (rather good deodorant also),
• Its activity is reduced in presence of organic matter. . It does not kill spores and Gram-negative bacteria.
The degerming action is slow but persistent due to deposition on the skin as a fine film that is not removed by rinsing with water.
oxidizing antiseptic readily soluble • Potassium permangnate acts as an Its crystals are purple in color and are r in water. • When dissolved in water, it liberates
It is less popular as higher concentration can cause burns and blisters. It is mainly used as disinfectant in different dilutions 1/20 dilution for hand wash, 1/5000 dilution for mouthwash and 1/10000-1/30000 dilution for urethral
and vaginal lavage.
It is also used to disinfect and deodorize the water of ponds and wells.
It is used as an antidote for stomach wash in morphine
poisoning in 0.1-0.3% concentration.
It is not good for disinfection of surgical instruments as it promotes rusting.
Hydrogen peroxide
It is a colorless watery liquid and loses potency on
keeping for a longer time. It liberates nascent oxygen on coming in contact with tissues, which oxidizes necrotic
matter and bacteria. Catalase enzyme is present in tissues, which speeds up decomposition resulting in foaming
and helps in loosening and removing slough, earwax, etc.
It is used for cleaning dirty wounds and abscess cavities. It can also be used to disinfect contact lenses, plastic
implants, and surgical prosthesis etc.
• It is sporicidal in a concenteration of 10-20%.
Benzoyl Peroxide
It is specifically active against P. acnes and used on acne vulgaris. . It should only be applied on the surface of acne, because
it causes skin irritation, marked scaling, erythma, and It shoue be applied in 5-10% conc. in a form of cream/ contact sensitization. gel/lotion.
Ethylene Oxide (E18)
It is the most common form of chemical sterilization It has lethal effects on proteins and DNA of bacteria.
It is also sporicidal and virucidal.
It is highly inflammable. Therefore, it is generally mixed with carbon dioxide.
. It is used to sterilize heat sensitive plastics, petri dishes, catheterization equipments and plastic syringes etc.
Low Temperature Gas Plasma
It is an alternate to ETO.
It is used with hydrogen peroxide (HO) for generation of free radicals, which kills microorganisms.
Ozone Sterilization
✓ It is a new technique of sterilization, recently approved
by the US.
In this technique, the oxygen is converted to atomic oxygen, which binds to another oxygen molecule and forms ozone.
It destroys many pathogens and prions.
. It is used to treat foods such as meat, eggs, and poultry . It is also used to disinfectant water and sewage.
