This document provides information on antiseptics and disinfectants. It defines antiseptics as substances that kill microbes or prevent their growth on living surfaces like skin, while disinfectants do the same but are used on inanimate surfaces. Various classes of antiseptics and disinfectants are described, including alcohols, acids, phenol derivatives, oxidizing agents, aldehydes, biguanides, dyes, and others. Specific examples within each class like ethanol, acetic acid, phenol, chloroxylenol are explained. Characteristics, classifications, and uses of different antiseptics and disinfectants are also summarized.

1. SUMANDEEP NURSING COLLEGE
DRUG PRESENTATION ON
ANTISEPTIC & DISINFECTANTS
PRESENTED BY
NIKHIL VAISHNAV
M.SC. NURSING 2nd YEAR

2. ANTISEPTICS
Antiseptics are drugs or substances used either to kill
microbes or prevent their further multiplication.
The term antiseptic is used for animate or living surfaces
like surface of skin, application of antiseptic dressing on
wounds.
The drugs like phenol, Boric acid cetrimide are the
examples of antiseptics.

3. DISINFECTANTS
These are drugs or substance used either to kill bacteria or
to prevent their further growth or multiplication.
The term disinfectants is used for inanimates, for example,
disinfection of surgical instrument, mug sputum, urine
containers.
Examples are Cresol, Potassium permanganate.

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF
ANALGESICS&DISINFECTANTS
• It should be cheap and available at affordable
price.
• It should be chemically stable.
• It should be bacteriostatic as well as
bactericidal
• It should be active against all microbes like
bacteria, fungi, viruses.
• It should be active in the presence of
exudates, blood pus, excreta etc.

5. CONTD.
• A disinfectants should not corrode or rust
instruments.
• It should be easily washable.
• It should be non allergic to use.
• It should not provide toxicity to the tissue.
• It should have rapid action and provide
protection.

6. CLASSIFICATIONS
• Alcohol
• Acids
• Phenol derivatives
• Oxidising agents
• Aldehydes
• Biguanide
• Dyes
• Furan derivative
• Halogens
• Quaternary ammonium
• Metallic salts

7. 1.ALCOHOL

8. ALCOHOL
Ethanol (C2H5OH), Ethyl alcohol.
It is a antiseptic and cleansing agent and acts by precipitating the
properties of microbes.
It can be used for cleansing of skin before injections administration.
Kills 90 % of bacteria in two to three minutes.
It is a poor disinfectant that does not kill spores of bacteria.

9. 2.ALDEHYDES

10. ALDEHYDES
• Chemical formula: HCHO.
• It is a toxic colourless, foul smelling gas. It is
soluble in water.
• 37 % solution of HCHO is used for fixing and
preserving biological specimens for
pathological examination.

11. Formaldehyde( Formalin) 4% is used for hardening
and preserving dead tissue.
Glutaraldehyde: It is used as disinfectant. It is less
pungent, less irrigating drug and is better sterilising
power than formalin. It is used as 2 % solution to
disinfect surgical instruments, endoscopes.

12. 3. ACIDS
• Boric acids: H3BO3. It is soluble in water, It is
bacteriostatic and very weak antiseptic agent. Its 4%
solution is used for irrigating eyes, mouth wash.

13. Acetic acid: CH3COOH. It is also known as glacial acetic
acid. It is used to prepare dilute acetic acid and strong
ammonium acetate solution. It is a weak antiseptic. The
solution 5% and above acts as bactericidal. It is used for
destruction of warts.

14. 4.PHENOL DERIVATIVES
Phenol
Cresol
Resorcinol
Hexyl
Resorcinol
Chloroxylenol(
Dettol)

15. PHENOL
It is used to disinfect urine, pus, sputum and faces of
patients. It has very pungent odour. In solution phenol
acts as strong disinfectant. It is derived from coal tar or
plant tar.

16. CRESOL
• It is methyl phenol. It is more active in comparison
to phenol and less damaging to body tissue.
• It is used for disinfection of utensils, excreta and
washing of hands.
• Lysol emulsion is 50% soapy emulsion of cresol. It is
less poisonous than phenol.

17. RESORCINOL
• It is less potent as phenol.
• It is used as keratolytic drug in dermatoses. Effective
in the treatment of acne, ringworm, eczema.

18. HEXYL RESORCINOL
• It is used as antifungal agent. It is used for
mouth wash, Lozenges.

20. CHLOROXYLENOL( DETTOL)
It is non-corrosive and non-irritating to intact skin. It is
slightly soluble in water.
It is used as antiseptic and for sterilising surgical
instruments.
Dettolin 1% is used as mouth wash.
Skin cream and soap: 0.8%, Commercial 4.8 % solution
used for surgical antisepsis.

22. 5.OXIDISING AGENTS
POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE( KMNO4):
 It is available as purple crystals highly soluble in
water. This oxidises bacterial protoplasm.
It acts as germicidal. It has also been used to
disinfect water of wells, ponds.

24. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE(h202)
Hydrogen peroxide has weak penetrating
power.
It is oxidized and release oxygen which
oxidises bacteria.
During oxidation foam is liberated which helps
in loosening and removing wax from ears.

26. BENZOYAL PEROXIDE
• It is widely used as effective drug for the treatment
of acne.
• It liberates oxygen in the presence of water which
kills bacteria.

27. 6. BIGUANIDES
• CHLORHEXIDINE: It is a strong, non-irritating ,
antiseptic drug.
• It is used as surgical scrub for mouth wash,
obstetrics and as skin antiseptic.
• It acts as bactericidal.

28. 7.DYES
GENTIAN VIOLET: Gentian violet is an antibacterial ,
anti-infective, antifungal and anthelmintic.
It is used in the treatment of superficial infection of
skin, vaginal infections.
Gentian violet in alcoholic solution 1% is used to
locally on bed sores, ulcer.

29. ACRIFLAVINE: These are orange
yellow acridine dyes.
Bandages impregnated with Acriflavin
Vaseline is used for dressing of
wounds, ulcers, burn wounds.

31. 8.FURAN DERIVATIVES
• NITROFURAZONE: It is an odourless, yellow
crystalline powder with a bitter taste.
• It has an antibacterial action against number
of gram positive and gram negative bacteria.
• It is used in the treatment of second and third
burn, in the treatment of skin and mucous
membrane infections.

33. 9.HALOGENS
• CHLORINE: It is highly reactive element and strong
germicide.
• It is used to disinfect water supplies to public in
villages and city area.

34. Contd.
• CHLOROPHORES: There are the compounds which
slowly release hypochlorous acid( HOCL) .
• It includes Chlorinated lime( bleaching powder) ,
chloramine.

35. 10.METALLIC SALTS
• MERBROMIN: It is a bright red colour
mercury salt.
• Merbromin 1% solution is used for application
to skin, minor cuts , wounds and eyes.

36. • SILVER NITRATE: It rapidly kills
microbes/bacteria. It is used for tonsillitis and
ulcers.

37. 11. QUATERNARYAMMONIUM ANTI-
SEPTIC
• CETRIMIDE: it is a creamy white powder
having soapy bitter taste. It is a nontoxic
antiseptic with detergent properties.
• It has been used in the treatment of wounds,
burns.
• It is also used for disinfection of utensils,
vessels, apparatuses, instruments.

39. ECTOPARASITICIDES
• Ectoparasiticides are the drugs which are
used to kill parasites that live on body.
• These are used in scabies, pediculosis.
• Drugs used in scabies and pediculosis are
as follows:

40. ECTOPARASITICIDES
Permethrin.
Lindane.
Benzyl
Benzoate.
Crotamiton
Sulpher.
Dicophane.

41. PERMETHRIN
• It is a anti scabitic drug.
• It is most effective for lice and scabies

42. LINDANE
• It is an larvicide, insecticide.
• 0.1% application is effective against head lice and 1%
is used in the treatment of pediculosis and scabies.

43. BENZYL BENZOATE
• It is an oily liquid .
• It is drug of choice in the treatment of
scabies.

44. CROTAMITON
• It is an effective scabicide, pediculocide.
• It cause less irritation to skin and can be
preferred for children.

45. SULPHER
• It is the oldest used scabicide, antiseptic
fungicide and keratolytic.

46. DICOPHANE
DDT( Dichlorodiphenyl trichloro ethane)
acts as an insecticide and larvicide.
It has been used as a popular insecticide for
mosquitoes, flies and many other pests.
If it is used as 1 to 2% lotion or ointment for
scabies and pediculosis.