Quaternary ammonium compounds Gram-negative bacteria

Quaternary compounds are used for sanitation of noncritical surfaces (floors, bench tops, etc). Their low toxicity has led to their use as sanitizers in food production facilities. The CDC recommends that quaternary ammonium compounds such as benzalkonium chloride not be used as antiseptics because several outbreaks of infections have occurred that were due to growth of pseudomonas and other gram-negative bacteria in quaternary ammonium antiseptic solutions. 

As shown in Table 10.7, tributyltin compounds are active against gram-positive bacteria. Their combination with a second chemical which combats gram-negative bacteria produces a highly effective disinfectant which may be used on open areas posing a risk of infection, such as hospital floors and sports pavilions. Common formulations contain, for example, a mixture of tributyltin benzoate and formaldehyde, or tributyltin oxide and a quaternary ammonium halide [4]. 

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