Fields of application
Disinfectants are used in medicine not only to antiseptically treat surfaces and instruments, but also primarily before invasive (i.e. penetrating the body) procedures. This applies to both simple blood sampling and larger operations. Skin disinfection is indispensable because otherwise germs, which are actually harmless, can enter the body and spread there.
But even after operations, the injured skin is disinfected several times to allow the wound to heal well and to prevent open skin areas from harbouring germs. Even spontaneous injuries such as cuts or abrasions are disinfected because the protective barrier of the skin is also broken. Finally, especially in medical professions, hand disinfection is carried out several times a day in order to prevent the transmission of pathogens from one patient to the next.
Where can disinfectants be purchased?
Professional medical disinfectants from the pharmacy should be listed on one of the recognised disinfectant lists. On the one hand there is the list of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and that of the Association for Applied Hygiene (VAH). It can be safely assumed that the disinfectant effect of the products on these lists has been scientifically proven and that the ingredients are harmless.
You can get access to them at the public health department or on the websites of the RKI and VAH. In recent years, however, the range of products available in drugstores and supermarkets has also increased. The hand disinfectants there are relatively effective and are suitable as a supplement to thorough hand washing. In individual cases one should always make sure that they have a high alcohol content. When treating wounds, however, a professional remedy from the pharmacy is more recommendable.
Risks
Discussions flare up again and again whether disinfectants are really harmless to health. Especially disinfectants for the household are suspected to be harmful and even carcinogenic. Unfortunately, no general answer can be found to this question.
In principle, however, the use of disinfectants in the household is usually not necessary. Microorganisms and thus also pathogens have always been our constant companions. Our body contains more microorganisms than human cells.
Without the small parasites that make up the skin and intestinal flora, for example, we would not be viable. Because disinfectants also damage useful germs, they should always be used with caution. More aggressive substances such as surface disinfectants should only be handled with gloves.
In addition, they should be kept away from children and only wound disinfectants are usually harmless in contact with mucous membranes. Tested disinfectants must no longer contain harmful substances such as triclosan or sodium hypochlorite (releases toxic chlorine). It is therefore always advisable to invest in a safe, professional disinfectant.
