Choosing disinfectants.
Disinfectant choice is an important part of the role of the infection control team. Its importance has increased due to concern over transmission of blood-borne viruses and the need to identify alternatives to gluteraldehyde. Factors to be taken into account when choosing disinfectants include compliance with COSHH regulations, user acceptability, instrument compatibility and antimicrobial activity. Compounds vary in their suitability for different uses and an agent's properties must be fully evaluated before adopting it for a particular purpose. This review outlines the main properties that need to be established and covers the major characteristics of main classes of disinfectants.
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Hospital Infection Research Laboratory, City Hospital, Birmingham.
D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003657:Decision Making; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000145:classification*; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment
D004202:Disinfectants; D015386:Hazardous Substances