[Antibacterial activity of disinfectant solutions containing quaternary ammonium compounds for the storage of...

A survey conducted among the health managements and dispensary services of all Italian hospitals showed that disinfectants containing quaternary ammonium salts were most commonly used for the disinfection and storage of surgical instruments (66% of frequencies). It was therefore decided to run in vitro tests on the bactericidal activity of some of the more frequently used substances containing one or more of these salts as their active principle. Five were therefore examined against 8 hospital and 4 lab strains, namely three aqueous solution: 1% benzalkonium chloride plus 1% ethylbenzalkonium chloride; 0.6% alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, plus 0.185% diisobutylphenoxyethoxyethylbenzyl ammonium chloride monohdydrate and 0.133% diisobutylcresoxyethoxydimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride monohydrate; 0.1% dodecylbenzylammonium-N-diethyl alcohol chloride; and two alcoholic solutions: 0.1% alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride; 0.25% benzalkonium chloride (F.U.).