Antiseptics: Effects, Uses & Risks

Antiseptics are used in medicine, for example, to disinfect wounds and thus prevent the development of sepsis (blood poisoning). They are chemical substances that can be produced on different bases.

What is antiseptic?

By the term antiseptics, medical professionals mean a chemical substance used to disinfect a wound. By the term antiseptic, physicians mean a chemical substance used to disinfect a wound. Antiseptics must meet high standards in order to kill the pathogens in question in a timely manner. In this way, infections of the affected area and, as a result, of the entire organism can be prevented. Antiseptics are administered externally, i.e. applied to a wound or a specific part of the body. Unlike antibiotics, for example, they act with pinpoint accuracy, i.e. their effect is limited to the actual site of administration. Antiseptics are used against a variety of pathogens, such as bacteria or fungi, and can have different chemical substances as their basis.

Medical application, effect and use

In medicine, antiseptics are mostly used to disinfect wounds. In open wounds, there is a risk of sepsis (blood poisoning) caused by invading pathogens. This is a severe inflammation of the organism as a result of an infection with bacteria or fungi. In the worst case, sepsis can be fatal. Treating a wound with antiseptics kills the pathogens before they can spread. This killing occurs, for example, by destroying the protein compounds in the pathogens, reducing their surface tension or directly affecting the pathogen’s metabolism. As a result, the bacteria or fungi cannot spread and eventually die without causing major damage to the body of the affected person. To be truly effective, antiseptics must meet stringent requirements. For example, they must be able to kill the germs in question quickly and reliably without harming the person affected. Great importance is attached to good tissue compatibility. The risk of an allergic reaction should also be kept relatively low. A wide spectrum of activity is also an advantage, so that the antiseptic can be used against various pathogens and thus act as reliably as possible.

Herbal, natural, and pharmaceutical antiseptics.

Antiseptics can have different chemical substances as their basis. Various alcohols such as ethanol or hexanol are very suitable to be used for wound disinfection and killing pathogens. For this purpose, they are diluted with water, because the optimum effect for alcohols is 70 – 80 %. They are also commonly used in medicine to disinfect hands. Alcohols can also be combined with iodine and then used as antiseptics. The resulting iodine tincture is often used to disinfect body regions prior to surgical procedures. It can also be used reliably to treat (minor) wounds. So-called halogenated compounds such as chlorhexidine find particular application in dentistry, where they can persist for a long time but do not penetrate the oral mucosa. Triclosan is one of the particularly strong bacterial inhibitors and, in addition to its use in dentistry, is frequently used to disinfect practice and clinic rooms and thus prevent the spread of disease. In some cases, mercury compounds such as thiomersal are also used as antiseptics. However, some of these products have now been banned in Germany because high mercury content can have a toxic effect if the substance enters the body.

Risks and side effects

Antiseptics are intended to prevent the spread of germs. In doing so, they must be applied directly to the skin in order to exert their effect there. It is therefore not uncommon for reactions to occur on the affected areas of the body. Alcohols, for example, are known to cause a burning sensation on contact with the skin, which can be particularly painful in the case of an open wound. Under certain circumstances, allergic reactions to one or more of the ingredients contained in the antiseptic may occur. The acrid odor emitted by many antiseptics is perceived as unpleasant by numerous people.Frequent applications of antiseptic substances can damage the skin‘s natural oily layer.