Medicine Section

WHAT IS A DISINFECTANT?

• Disinfecting agents are “antimicrobial pesticides” and are substances used to control, prevent, or destroy harmful microorganisms (i.e., bacteria, viruses, or fungi) on inanimate objects and surfaces which are registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• Overview of chemicals used for disinfection, their advantages and limitations
• Biocides
• Sanitizers
• Disinfectant
• Sterilization
• Detergents
• Biocide: chemical agents react with proteins, specifically essential enzymes of microorganisms by various processes like oxidation, hydrolysis, denaturation or substitution and kill the organisms hence they are suffixed as cides.
• Sanitizers are agents reduce the number of microorganisms on inanimate surfaces to levels that are considered safe from a public health standpoint. Usually contain a detergent and disinfectant. They do not kill microorganisms.
• Disinfectant agents that inactivates (irreversibly) or destroys organism but does not act on spores and can be applied directly on the inanimate objects.
• Antiseptics are those applied on living things or tissues to stop the growth of pathogenic organisms either by inactivates or destruction
• Sterilization may be both extreme heat and chemical - ethylene oxide and destroys microorganisms
• Detergents used for cleaning to facilitate the penetration of disinfectant.
• Evaluation
• Follow-up evaluation of the premises should be conducted
• Samples are collected and best time to sample is 2-3 days after disinfection
• Sample area should be dry