Choosing disinfectants

Disinfectant choice is an important part of the role of the infection contr ol team. Its importance has increased due to concern over transmission of b lood-borne viruses and the need to identify alternatives to gluteraldehyde. Factors to be taken into account when choosing disinfectants include compl iance with COSHH regulations, user acceptability, instrument compatibility and antimicrobial activity Compounds vary in their suitability for differen t uses and an agent's properties must be fully evaluated before adopting it for a particular purpose. This review outlines the main properties that ne ed to be established and covers the major characteristics of main classes o f disinfectants. (C) 1999 The Hospital Infection Society.