Advantages And Disadvantages Of Antiseptics

Before bathing/showering with soap and water prior to a procedure/surgery was accepted. It has been proven that antiseptic showering decreases skin microorganism count. Chlorhexidine gluconate products necessitate the need for several applications for the maximum antimicrobial benefit. Thus, each patient receives two preoperative antiseptic showers.

The aim of this investigation was to find out which antiseptics were most effective at preventing the growth of bacteria.

Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic antibacterial agent used to prep the skin prior to surgical procedures (US Natural Library of Medicine, 2012). Chlorhexidine works to prevent and kills growth of bacteria on the skin. It is most often used to disinfect hand prior to any procedure that involves a break in the skin (US Natural Library of Medicine, 2012). In order to use the product, the area must first be cleaned well with soap and water. The next step involves donning sterile gloves and opening the sterile package using sterile technique. Then the sponge or dip stick containing the chlorhexidine is applied to the skin in a circular motion. The product is then to set to air dry for two minutes prior to producing any breaks in the

Haveles, E. B., (2011). Applied pharmacology for the dental hygienist (6th ed.). Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby/Elsevier

Antiseptics are chemical agents that slow or stop the growth of micro-organisms (germs) on external surfaces of the body, that is why they are suitable to use on the skin as they are designed for that pacific reason to stop bacterial growth or any other microorganisms from spreading or causing infection on the skin and external surfaces on the body. Antiseptics should be distinguished from antibiotics that destroy micro-organisms inside the body, and from disinfectants, which destroy micro-organisms found on inanimate (non-living) objects. Antibiotics and disinfectant are designed for other reasons as you can see and contain some different chemical agents that maybe harsh on the human skin so that is why disinfectants and antibiotics may not be suitable on the skin. (http://dermnetnz.org/treatments/antiseptics.html)

Chemical antimicrobial agents are chemical compounds capable of either inhibiting the growth of microorganisms or killing them outright. Those which are taken internally to alleviate the symptoms of or promote healing from disease are called chemotherapeutic drugs, and among these is a class of compounds called antibiotics. In order for a chemotherapeutic drug to be classed as an antibiotic, it must be produced by a microorganism such as bacterium or fungus or at least derived from a chemical produced by one. It must also be capable of killing or inhibiting the growth of other microorganisms and of doing so when taken in very small quantities.

The study focus on mentally challenge children ages 7-14. It was hypothesized that children using chlorhexidine will have a decrease in plaque and gingivitis than children on the placebo. The sample consisted of fifty- four mentally subnormal children. During a period of 8-week interval half of the kids were given twice a day and the rest was given the placebo. The report in this study supported the hypothesis that rinsing with chlorhexidine glutamine has significant influence in the reduction on plaque and

It is very common to have little knowledge about oral hygiene and its importance’s. Most people think that everything is fine as long as there isn’t any pain or bad breath. Unfortunately, this is a myth. Oral hygiene requires great importance of attention and is not simply based on how physically attractive a smile looks. In the article, “The health Perils of Gum Disease” it is stated that “gums are a barrier that help prevent inflammation that may damage your body” (Barker 1). In order to maintain a healthy mouth it is necessary to not only keep up with maintenance at home but also frequently seek a dental professional for proper cleanings and guidance. Lacking these tasks can cause great damage not only to the mouth

The proposed evidence-based practice change is to reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and/or multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) through the daily use of chlorhexidine-impregnated wipes or chlorhexidine soap among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and medical-surgical units. Chlorhexidine gluconate is a broad-spectrum, antiseptic agent against several pathogens, such as S. aureus and enterococcus species (Climo et al., 2013, p. 534). Daily baths will be emphasized to patients with the current diagnosis of a HAIs, MDROs or are currently and/or have chronic suppressed immune systems. Furthermore, providing education to staff and patients and their families regarding the prevention of HAIs and MDROs through the use of chlorhexidine bath products will help implement this EBP change.

You dentist can recommend products that help maintain good oral health. You might use mouthwash that fights plaque, kills bacteria, contains fluoride, or helps with dry mouth. There are many types of toothpaste and mouthwash on the market and choosing the best one for your dental condition can help keep your mouth healthy. Your dentist can even provide you with products not available over the counter if necessary.

It all began with Joseph Lister a pioneer in antiseptic surgical approaches introduced new principles of cleanliness which transformed surgical practice in the late 1800s. We take it for granted that a surgeon will guard a patient 's safety by using aseptic methods. But this was not always the case, and until Lister introduced sterile surgery, a patient could undergo a procedure successfully only to die from a postoperative infection known as ‘ward fever’. Lister read about the experiments in fermentation conducted by French chemist Louis Pasteur and conducted his own experiments to conclude that micro-organisms were responsible for the infections in patients. He set about trying to find an effective method of eliminating the micro-organisms by exposing them to strong chemicals. After extensive experimentation, he found an effective antiseptic in carbolic acid. He treated the surgical instruments and wounds of patients with the chemical and discovered that when the solution was swabbed on

VAP continues to be a major clinical challenge and contributes to increased healthcare costs, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay, and patient mortality (Grap et al., 2011). These statistics are astounding as VAP is a preventable condition. A current clinical care effort utilized to reduce the incidence of VAP in mechanically ventilated (MV) patients is to include chlorhexidine in oral care protocols. Chlorhexidine is an oral antiseptic rinse with broad-spectrum activity used “to decrease oral bacteria and potential oropharynx colonization” (Zuckerman, 2016). This is an easy and low cost intervention and is currently exercised in the clinical care environment by nurses when performing oral care for MV patients.

In the control group, skin antisepsis was not given, 10 participants did not need to be shaved, 16 participants used a razor, and 13 used a clipper to shave. In the study group, chlorhexidine soap baths were given at least twice before the surgery including the night before, 19 participants did not need to be shaved, razors were not used, and 24 participants used clippers to shave. For both groups, bacterial smears were taken from the axillary and inguinal sites for culture two days after hospital admission, and if an infection developed at the incision, they cultured again to determine the causal bacteria.

The design of this study will be quasi-experimental, in that the standard elements of the studies mentioned before will be present in this proposal, but with the inclusion of a newer solution, that are being used in order to clean wounds and prevent infection from occurring once the wounds have been dressed with a novel silver dressing. This will include a solution that contains Manuka Honey in it (the active ingredients are not all known yet, only that a chemical reaction that takes place when exposed to a wound is the formation of benzoyl peroxide (Mandal and Mandal, 2011)), and covered/packed with Mepilex wound dressings. This will also serve as only a baseline sample — no combinations

Silver impregnated dressings have been used extensively over the past few decades in the management of chronic wounds and burns. Before the 1800s, Silver was used for the treatments of ailments such as seizures, leg ulcers, skin infections, partial burns, surgical wounds, perinanal abscesses, disinfection of fluid and sexually transmitted diseases. By mid 1900s, the use of Silver started to expand and was used in different forms such as dressings, eye drops, powder and so on. Silver nitrates were also used as antibiotics to prevent eye infections after deliveries, MRSA, Staphylococcus aureus, B-hemolytic streptococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia Coli (Castellano et al, 2007, pp. 114-115). Nevertheless, adverse effects were not monitored.