ANTISEPTICS &

DISINFECTANTS

VMED5223
Veterinary Pharmacology
10-2007
Masami Yoshimura
myoshimura@vetmed.lsu.edu
Room2423
 History
(the founders of bacteriology)
n Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895)
n demonstrations of the germ theory of disease
n ending spontaneous generation (Swan flask)
n Pasteurization
n Robert Koch (1843 - 1910)
n Mycobacterium tuberculosis (1882)
n Vibrio cholerae (1883)
 History
(importance of hygene)
n Ignaz Semmelweis (1818 - 1865)
n 1847 - mortality rate due to puerperal fever
reduced (13% to 2%) by hand washing -
"cadaveric material"
n chlorinated lime (calcium hydroxide and
chloride and hypochlorite)
n Joseph Lister (1827 - 1912)
n 1867 - “Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of
Surgery” - carbolic acid (phenol) as antiseptic
n the father of modern antisepsis
 Operation using Lister's carbolic spray invented in 1869

http://campus.udayton.edu/~hume/Lister/lister.htm

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/b.gardner/Lister.html
 Cleansers, Antiseptics & Disinfectants

n Defined by their intended use and not by

their chemical content
n Cleansers - to remove foreign material
n Antiseptics - applied to living tissue to kill
microbes or to inhibit their growth
n Disinfectants - to kill or inhibit
microorganisms on inanimate objects
 Cleansers
n = surfactants, detergents
n Classification based upon the hydrophilic
moiety
n Anionic
n Cationic
n Nonionic
n Amphoteric
 Anionic Detergents
Fat

Soap
 Cationic Detergents
n Quaternary ammonium compounds
n Some germicidal activity - disinfectants
Antiseptics and Disinfectants
n Nonspecific killing effect (
antibiotics)
n Nonspecific disruption of cellular functions
n Caution must be taken not to harm host
tissue
 Ideal Antiseptic
n broad spectrum of activity
n low toxicity
n high penetrability
n active in the presence of pus and necrotic tissue
n little skin irritation
n little interference with the normal healing
process
n residual activity
 Order of killing
Sensitive


Vegetative bacteria

Lipophilic viruses (lipid containing, enveloped)

Fungi

Hydrophilic viruses (non-lipid, non-enveloped)

Mycobacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis)

Bacterial spores


Resistant
 Clinical Applications
n before and after surgery
n during catheterization or other invasive
implants
n in immunocompromised states
n immune defect
n cytotoxic drug therapy
n extreme old or young age
n extensive skin damage (burn and wound)
 Ideal Disinfectants
n broad spectrum
n fast action
n active in the presence of organic material (blood,
sputum, feces)
n compatible with detergents
n low toxicity
n residual surface activity
n should not corrode instruments or metallic surfaces
n should not disintegrate rubber, plastic, or other materials
n odorless
n economical
 Factors Affecting Efficacy
n concentration of agent and contact time
n Temperature (usual chemical reaction 2x
increase in rate with each 10°C increase
in temperature)
n pH
n presence of organic or other material
n organism type (order of killing: page 2-3)
 Alcohol
n ethyl and isopropyl alcohol
n solubilizes the cell membrane and denatures
proteins.
n wide germicidal activity, non corrosive, but poses a
fire hazard
n limited residual activity due to evaporation
n alcohols provide limited activity in the presence of
organic matter
n not considered effective against bacterial or fungal
spores
n must use as a 70-95% concentration
n irritating to tissues
 Iodine (Halogens)
n oxidizes proteins and other important biological
macromolecules.
n wide germicidal activity including fungi and bacterial
spores
n has a characteristic odor and is corrosive
n is insoluble in water and thus prepared in alcohol
(tincture) or with solubilizing surfactants (“tamed”
iodine)
n limited activity when in the presence of organic matter
 Iodine continue
n Iodophors; iodine solubilized by
surfactants
n excellent cleansing agents as well as
antiseptics and disinfectants
n slow continuous release of free iodine
n prolonged activity after application (4-6 hours)
n less irritating, allergenic, corrosive, and
staining
 Chlorine
n formation of hypochlorous acid (HOCl)
n sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl, bleach),
chlroamine-T
n oxidizes organic compounds indiscriminately
n provide wide germicidal activity and are relatively
nontoxic
n limited activity when in the presence of organic matter
n poor residual activity
n corrosive to metals and destroy many fabrics
n fair effectiveness as sporicidal agents
n effective at low concentrations for disinfecting objects
n strong odor, light sensitive
"probably the most significant public health advance of the millennium." --Life Magazine
 Chlorine continue
n N-halamine (compounds containing N-Cl
structure, oxazolidinones, imidazolidinones)
n water-soluble solids
n wide germicidal activity in water
n noncorrosive in water
n tasteless and odorless in water
n extremely stable in water even in the presence of
organic loads
n N-halamine containing polymers patented by Auburn
University scientist, Shelby Davis Worley
 Chlorhexidine

n disrupts the cell membrane and precipitates cell contents

n active against bacteria, fungi, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis
n poorly active against viruses and bacterial spores
n Long residual activity
n Active in the presence of blood and other organic materials
n Nontoxic
n Inactivated by hard water
n Widely used as a presurgical antiseptic, wound flush, and teat
dip
 Aldehydes
n alkylates and crosslinks proteins, DNA,
RNA
n formaldehyde (HCOH), glutaraldehyde
n not as antiseptics
 Formaldehyde
n very potent disinfectant, highly toxic to animals
n active as gas and liquid form (formalin)
n very wide germicidal activity (bactericide,
fungicide, virucide, sporicide)
n slow, requiring 6-12 hours’ contact time
n relatively noncorrosive to metals, paint, and
fabric
n slight to moderate efficiency in presence of
organic matter
n slight residual activity
n irritating fume and pungent odor
n potential carcinogen
 Glutaraldehyde
n similar to formaldehyde without some of its
shortcomings
n faster effects compared to formaldehyde
n moderate residual activity
n to be sporicidal, need to be activated by
alkalizing agents
n irritating to the eyes and nasal passages
 Hydrogen peroxide
n wide germicidal activity
n environmentally friendly
n damaging to tissues, not suitable for routine
wound care
n In its concentrated form, extremely corrosive
and irritating to skin, eyes and mucous
membrane
n can be explosive
n decomposed by catalase or other peroxidases
 Phenolics
n Phenol
n the first to be used in clinical practice (Joseph
Lister, 1867)
n denatures proteins
n highly corrosive and toxic to animals
 Phenolics continue
n synthetic phenolic compounds
n effective against bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses
n not effective against nonenveloped viruses and spores
n very effective in the presence of organic matter
n have a relatively high toxicity rating and are usually skin
irritants
n have a noticeable odor and most of them a disagreeable
one. "Hospital odor"
 Gases
n Oxidizing agents
n Ozone (O3), chlorine gas (Cl2), chlorine dioxide
(ClO2)
n Alkylating agents
n formaldehyde, ethylene oxide (C2H4O), propylene
oxide (C3H6O)
n disinfectants for large spaces
n sterilization of delicate instruments
n permeates porous materials
n dissipates rapidly from material
n but is costly, toxic, carcinogenic, explosive, and
relatively lengthy process
 Physical Methods of
Microbial Control
n Moist Heat
n –Boiling water & autoclaving
n Pasteurization
n Dry heat
n –Flaming, Incineration, Baking in oven.
n Filtration
n Radiation
n –Ionizing –X-rays and gamma rays
n –Non-ionizing –UV light
n Ultrasonic Vibrations