Disinfectants are not medicines in the true sense. Nevertheless, they carry a valuable contribution in everyday medical life and also at home. The benefit of disinfectants is mainly to kill germs and bacteria, so that further infection can be reduced or eliminated. However, disinfection should be distinguished from sterilization.
What are disinfectants?
Before any surgery, the surgical site is thoroughly disinfected to kill germs. Not only in medicine, but also in many other industries and even in the private sector, disinfectants are used to a greater or lesser extent. The purpose of using disinfectants is to prevent microorganisms that cause disease or putrefaction from spreading further. This is done by killing the germs. Disinfectants are used for surface disinfection, laundry disinfection or for use on specific areas of the body. Disinfectants can be applied to the appropriate zones either before or after cleaning and incorporated according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This is the only way to inactivate or completely remove microorganisms of concern. Depending on their nature, the disinfectants are offered as sprays or liquids and are subject to special specifications in terms of application, exposure time, irritability and concentration. Efficient use of disinfectants can only be guaranteed if these guidelines are observed.
Application, effect and use
In medicine, disinfectants have different meanings and are used for different purposes. In medical practices, medical treatment rooms of physiotherapy as well as in clinics, the disinfectants belong to the indispensable prerequisite to guarantee a germ occupation and germ spreading. However, not all pathogenic microorganisms can guarantee complete sterility. In operating theaters, instruments and individual tools are even subjected to sterilization. For surfaces and further equipment disinfection, however, commercially available disinfectants are largely sufficient. In most medical facilities where patients, visitors and relatives move around, highly effective disinfectants that are well tolerated by the skin are provided for hand disinfection. In the context of the different types of disinfectants, it is mainly the chemical substances that are relevant. The selected chemical ingredients act in such a way that the structures of the microorganisms are destroyed. These processes are mainly based on the so-called precipitation or dissolution of the proteins that make up the cells of the bacteria. Some disinfectants contribute to the damage of cell walls or nucleic acids in microorganisms. In addition, the chemical disinfectants achieve fungi, viruses and tuberculosis bacteria killing effects.
Herbal, natural and pharmaceutical disinfectants.
Within modern disinfectants, varying types are distinguished. The respective names of the classic groups are based on the types of germs that can be rendered harmless with the substances. In this context, fungicides, virucides, sporocides and bactericides occur. In addition to synthetically derived disinfectants, natural disinfectants also prove their worth in practice. Numerous natural substances, including salt, hot spices, tea tree oil, grapefruit, silver thistle and chamomile extracts, and honey, have been known to have a disinfecting effect. These remedies are popularly used in alternative medicine or homeopathy. They have no unpleasant side effects, are well tolerated and disinfect in the gentle way. Various homemade, ecological disinfectants made from natural ingredients also have an antiseptic effect. Artificial chemical disinfectants include chlorine oxide, iodine, formaldehyde and sodium hypochlorite as well as peracetic acid. These agents are selected for disinfection of surfaces and instruments as well as for mucous membrane and skin disinfection. Excellent results with disinfectants of the non-natural group can be achieved with phenols, alcohol and various nitrogen compounds.These are also suitable for different purposes in medicine.
Risks and side effects
The use of disinfectants is not without problems and risks. Not only damage and irritation to the outer layers of the skin as well as mucous membranes, but also to the environment must be considered. In addition, if used improperly, the germs to be eliminated can cause insensitivity of the microorganisms. These characteristics are known as dangerous resistances and can pose an additional risk to patients. An important issue connected with this situation is the so-called hospitalism. Severe impairment of the microbial skin flora can be triggered by excessive dosing of disinfectants and improper exposure time. In addition, some types of disinfectants must be rinsed off after the exposure time. Disinfectants with an intense odor can cause irritation to the sense of taste or smell. In turn, other disinfectants cause unpleasant allergies, and are even highly flammable or combustible.