Antimicrobial Antiseptics

USE Pharmaceutic aid (antimicrobial). Antiseptic, germi-dde, fungicide esp for tree wounds. 

Actions Antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal, anthelmintic, antiparasitic. Of all herbs, it is perhaps the only true "antibiotic," the literal meaning of which is "antilife."... 

Actions Antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antifungal, carminative, anti catarrhal. 

The distinguishing characteristics of a healthcare personnel handwash/anti-septic focus on its intended use as a fast-acting, broad-spectrum antimicrobial antiseptic designed for rapid removal and/or kill of transient skin microorganisms encountered in a healthcare setting. These products are designed for very frequent use, up to 50-100 times per workday. A persistent antimicrobial effect is a desirable characteristic but is not necessary since these products are used frequently throughout the day. 

Substituted 2-acylamino-IbPs (e.g., 677) are claimed to be a new class of antiinflammatory agents (77USP4059584). Selective antimicrobial, antiseptic and disinfectant action was found in 2-guanidyl-IbP and IcP 678 connected by polymethylene chains (83USP4395552). 

Products and Uses Naturally occuring in cinnamon, cloves (ripe), cranberries, plums, and prunes. Used in food preservatives, tobacco seasoning, flavors, perfumes, and toothpastes. Utilized orally as an antiseptic, diuretic, and expectorant and as an antimicrobial (antiseptic) agent, flavoring agent, and food preservative. 

Stimulant, decongestant, antiviral, antitumour Antimicrobial, antiseptic, tonifying, spasmolytic Anti-inflammatory, antiallergenic Antimicrobial, irritant, immune stimulating Spasmolytic, sedative, antiviral Spasmolytic... 

Sodium trichloroacetate [650-51-17, C2Cl202Na, is used as a herbicide for various grasses and cattails (2). The free acid has been used as an astringent, antiseptic, and polymerisation catalyst. The esters have antimicrobial activity. The oral toxicity of sodium trichloroacetate is quite low (LD q rats, 5.0 g/kg). Although very corrosive to skin, trichloroacetic acid does not have the skin absorption toxicity found with chloroacetic acid (28). 

A poly( -vinyl-2-pyrroHdinone)-iodine complex [25655-41-8] (PVP-iodine), has been used extensively in hospitals and elsewhere because of its germicidal, bactericidal, fungicidal, and generally disinfecting properties (150). It is sold as a solution that contains about 10% available, or active, iodine and about 5% inactive iodine, in the form of iodide ion (see Disinfectants and antiseptics Industrial antimicrobial agents). 

Povidone—iodine is a brown, water-soluble powder containing approximately 10% iodine. However, the amount of free iodine, which is responsible for the antimicrobial activity, is low in a concentrated solution, but is released as the solution is diluted (41). Concentrated solutions have actually been contaminated with bacteria (42). For use as an antiseptic, povidine—iodine is diluted with water or alcohol to a concentration of 1% iodine. Detergents are added if it is used as a surgical scmb. lodophors are important as broad-spectmm antiseptics for the skin, although they do not have the persistent action of some other antiseptics. They are also used as disinfectants for clinical thermometers that have been used by tuberculous patients, for surface disinfection of tables, etc, and for clean equipment in hospitals, food plants, and dairies, much as chlorine disinfectants are used. 

Alcohols, particularly ethanol [64-17-5] and 2-propanol [67-63-9] are important disinfectants and antiseptics. In the aUphatic series of straight-chain alcohols, the antimicrobial activity increases with increasing molecular weight up to a maximum, depending on the organism tested. For Staphylococcus aureus the maximum activity occurs using amyl alcohol [71-41-0], for Salmonella typhosa, octyl alcohol [111-87-5], CgH gO (43) ioT Mycobacterium tuberculosis... 

Whereas tests (186) indicated that ampholytes were effective in skin cleansing for preoperative use, for wound cleansing, and as an antiseptic in the oral cavity (187), as well as other medical appHcations, the food and beverage industries have proved to be the principal employers of these compounds. Ampholytes are used as sanitizers and disinfectants, not as food preservatives. Low toxicity, absence of skin irritation, and noncorrosiveness, along with antimicrobial activity, has given ampholytes acceptance in dairies, meat plants, and the brewing and soft drink industries. These disinfectants have been manufactured and distributed in Europe and Japan, but not in the United States. 

A. skin antiseptic is a nonirritating antimicrobial-containing preparation that prevents overt skin infection. 

Susceptibility of viruses to antimicrobial agents can depend on whether the viruses possess a lipid envelope. Non-lipid viruses are frequently more resistant to disinfectants and it is also likely that such viruses cannot be readily categorized with respect to their sensitivities to antimicrobial agents. These viruses are responsible for many nosocomial infections, e.g. rotaviruses, picornaviruses and adenoviruses (see Chapter 3), and it may be necessary to select an antiseptic or disinfectant to suit specific circumstances. Certain viruses, such as Ebola and Marburg which cause haemorrhagic fevers, are highly infectious and their safe destruction by disinfectants is of paramount importance. 

Table 10.6 Examples of the main antimicrobial groups as antiseptics, disinfectants and presenratives... 

As is apparent from the above information, there is no ideal disinfectant, antiseptic or preservative. All chemical agents have their limitations either in terms of their antimicrobial activity, resistance to organic matter, stability, incompatibility, irritancy, toxicity or corrosivity. To overcome the limitations of an individual agent, formulations consisting of combinations of agents are available. For example, ethanol has been combined with chlorhexidine and iodine to produce more active preparations. The combination of chlorhexidine and cetrimide is also considered to improve activity. QACs and phenols have been combined with glutaraldehyde so that the same effect can be achieved with lower, less irritant concentrations of glutaraldehyde. Some... 

When considering antimicrobial therapy in a patient with fever, one should answer the following questions. First, is the fever caused by an infection If affirmative, data are needed to determine the severity of the infection, the site of infection, and the causal micro-organism(s). Second, when the cause of the fever is infectious, one should ask is treatment with antimicrobial drugs needed Many soft tissue infections including impetigo and decubital ulcers are best treated with local antiseptics and/or wound debridement without the use of antibiotics. If the chance to cure the infection with antimicrobial... 

Urinary antiseptics are drugs that exert their antimicrobial effect in the urine and are devoid of virtually any significant systemic effect. Prolonged use for prophylaxis and/or suppression is common in recurrent or chronic UTIs where other antimicrobials can be used only for short durations because they do not sustain sterility. 

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