Antiseptic drugs and disinfectants

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the side effects of antiseptic drugs and disinfectants. In a study discussed in the chapter, skin eruptions and severe hypertension were noticed immediately after the leg wounds were cleaned using a four-percent chlorhexidine solution. Povidone iodine exhibits a wide range of antimicrobial activities and is rapidly lethal to dissociated colorectal cancer cells. Povidone iodine is used to reduce the incidence of exit-site infections in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Severe anaphylaxis associated with the lavage or installation of povidone iodine into wounds or body cavities has been reported. Merbromin is a weak topical mercurial antiseptic that can be significantly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, thereby resulting in toxic blood mercury concentrations. Phenolic disinfectants are widely used for domestic purposes, often in concentrations higher than those recommended. If the cleaning equipment is stored without prior rinsing, phenol can concentrate as it evaporates more slowly than water.