Bactericidal Effect of Chlorhexiding Gluconate and Isopropyl Alcohol

A 0.5% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% isopropyl alcohol tincture(H-Tincture) has been shown to be highly efficacious for skin disinfection and is used widely in hospitals as a skin cleansing agent for patients and health-care personnel. However, the optimum and the most cost effective combination of two disinfectants is net known. we examined the bactericidal effect of chlorhexidine gluconate and isopropyl alcohol singly or in combination at various concentrations against clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pure cultures of the test organisms were incubated in disinfectant solutions for up to 15 minutes and 0.01 ml aliquots were cultured in broth for viability. Chlorhexidine gluconate solutions alone at the concentration of 0.5% and 0.1% were as bactericidal as in combination with isopropyl alcohol at various concentrations. The most cost-effective combination of the two disinfectants was shown to be 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate in 30% isopropyl alcohol. These results suggest that the concentrations of chlorhexidine gluconate and isopropyl alcohol could be reduced from the current formula of H-Tincture without compromising its antimicrobial activity and warrant further studies in clinical setting to define the most cost-effective combination of the disinfectants.A 0.5% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% isopropyl alcohol tincture(H-Tincture) has been shown to be highly efficacious for skin disinfection and is used widely in hospitals as a skin cleansing agent for patients and health-care personnel. However, the optimum and the most cost effective combination of two disinfectants is net known. we examined the bactericidal effect of chlorhexidine gluconate and isopropyl alcohol singly or in combination at various concentrations against clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pure cultures of the test organisms were incubated in disinfectant solutions for up to 15 minutes and 0.01 ml aliquots were cultured in broth for viability. Chlorhexidine gluconate solutions alone at the concentration of 0.5% and 0.1% were as bactericidal as in combination with isopropyl alcohol at various concentrations. The most cost-effective combination of the two disinfectants was shown to be 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate in 30% isopropyl alcohol. These results suggest that the concentrations of chlorhexidine gluconate and isopropyl alcohol could be reduced from the current formula of H-Tincture without compromising its antimicrobial activity and warrant further studies in clinical setting to define the most cost-effective combination of the disinfectants