MOST EFFECTIVE HOSPITAL DISINFECTANT – ALSTASAN SILVOX

The  use of medical disinfectants  help  to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses and  promote disinfection in hospitals. Many infectious diseases can be halted in their tracks by the  use of  proper hospital hygiene products. Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, mucormycosis (a flesh-eating fungal infection) are mostly caused by pathogens including bacteria, fungi and viruses. Health care-associated infections, or HAIs, are infections that patients acquire while they are receiving treatment for another condition in a healthcare setting. Reusable medical devices such as surgical instruments and endoscopes can also harbor pathogens and be responsible for HAIs.

The main disease causing microbes are viruses, bacteria and fungi. They are all beyond normal human eye   vision but still they are potential disease causing agents. Disinfectants are thus extensively used in hospitals and other health care settings and are called as hospital grade disinfectants for a variety of topical and hard-surface applications.

A wide variety of active chemical agents (biocides) are   used as disinfectants, including alcohols, phenols, iodine, and chlorine etc.

 Ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and n-propanol are the most widely used alcohols against microbial activity. Alcohols exhibit rapid broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against vegetative bacteria (including mycobacteria), viruses, and fungi. Among aldehydes glutaraldehyde is an important dialdehyde that has found usage as a disinfectant and sterilant, in particular for low-temperature disinfection and sterilization of endoscopes and surgical equipment and as a fixative in electron icroscopy. Glutaraldehyde has a broad spectrum of activity against bacteria and their spores, fungi, and viruses. Ortho-phthaladehyde has t microbiocidal activity and mycobactericidal activity and has potent bactericidal and sporicidal activity. Like glutaraldehyde, it interacts with amino acids, proteins and microorganisms.Formaldehyde-primarily available as a water based solution called formalin, which contains 37% formaldehyde by weight is used as a high level disinfectant. Formaldehyde has been traditionally used to sterilize equipment such as surgical instruments and haemodialysers in combination with alcohols. Paraformaldehyde, a solid polymer of formaldehyde, is used in combination with low-temperature steam for the disinfection of heat-sensitive medical equipment. Peracetic acid based solutions are also used as sporicidal, bactericidal, virucidal and fungicidal at low concentrations. Chlorine- and iodine-based compounds are the most significant microbicidal halogens used in the clinic and have been traditionally used for disinfectant purposes. The most important types of CRAs are sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, and the N-chloro compounds such as sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC), with chloramine-T being used to some extent. Iodine , although less reactive than chlorine,  is  extensively used as  bactericidal, fungicidal, tuberculocidal, virucidal, and sporicidal agents in medical disinfectants.  Disinfectant solutions containing 7.5% hydrogen peroxide are used for  sterilisation and high-level disinfection in healthcare Quaternary ammonium compounds  have also  been  used against microbial activity in hospitals.Many phenolic compounds also  possess antifungal and antiviral properties. Their antifungal action probably involves damage to the plasma membrane resulting in leakage of intracellular constituents. Thus phenols have also found its application in   hospital disinfectant products.

These disinfectants which are extensively used in hospitals have found to cause many adverse effects. Formaldehyde is known to have carcinogenic effects. Acute or chronic exposure of glutaraldehyde results in skin irritation, mucous membrane irritation and multiple pulmonary symptoms such as occupational asthma and allergic rhinitis. Triclosan, the active ingredient in most antibacterial products, not only kills bacteria, it also has been shown to kill human cells Phenol is toxic and people who are hypersensitive can experience serious side effects at very low levels. Phenols cause damage to respiratory and circulatory systems. It can seriously affect liver, kidneys and eyes. Chlorine based compounds emit harmful fumes which makes it unsuitable to be used as a hospital disinfectant products. Most of these disinfectants are non biodegradable and  can cause potential environmental hazards.

ALSTASAN SILVOX, a synergistic blend of hydrogen peroxide with silver ions is highly effective against microbial activity and can be used extensively as hospital  grade disinfectant. It find application as disinfectant wipes, floor disinfectant, hospital disinfectant cleaner, disinfectant spray, disinfectant spray, hospital sanitizer products etc.

Silver ions show oligo-dynamic effect on bacterial cells in relatively lower concentrations compared to the traditional disinfectants. Silver ions denature enzymes by reacting with the thiol groups to form silver sulfides. Hydrogen peroxide when used alone as a disinfectant it decomposes to oxygen and water. Silver when added to hydrogen peroxide prevents its slow decomposition.

The silver performs as an activator, but it activates the peroxide only when it is exposed to bio-foulants. On coming in contact with microbials the silver loses its stabilizing function and activates to release nascent oxygen to oxidize the exposed microbes. When all bacteria has been oxidized by the generated active oxygen compounds, the silver once again acts as a stabilizer for the remaining and non reacted oxygen.

SILVOX use as a medical disinfectant dominates other commercial disinfectants products because of its unique features. It does not require heat for disinfection and thus can act as a cold sterilant. Unlike others it is effective at a very low concentration over a large range of micro-organisms and destroys biofilm. When used as a floor disinfectant it does not leave any stains on floor. Its non foaming nature makes it suitable for spraying, fogging and fumigation. .It does not leave back any odor in the rooms so can be used effectively as a hospital disinfectant cleaner.

It is completely organic in nature and does not leave any toxic residue and does not emit any harmful fumes, Alstasan Silvox is biodegradable and has no adverse effect on environment.