Effectiveness of commonly used antiseptics on bacteria causing nosocomial infections in tertiary hospital in Malaysia

The antimicrobial inhibitory effects of five common antiseptics [Chlorhexidine (CHX), Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), Iodine, Ethanol and Dettol] were investigated using agar well diffusion method. The organisms used included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The undiluted concentrations of the antiseptics showed variable zones of inhibition against the tested organisms, on MRSA it ranged from 25 mm (CHX) to 30 mm in other antiseptics, on A. baumannii 20 mm (CHX) to 34 mm Dettol, on E. coli 20 mm Dettol to 38 mm (H2O2), on Klebsiella spp. 20 mm Dettol to 24 mm (CHX), whereas on P. aeruginosa it ranged from 13 mm Iodine to 30 mm (H2O2). The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of chlorhexidine concentration against MRSA and P. aeruginosa was 10%, while A. baumannii was 20%. All the study bacteria were resistant to ethanol by all concentrations. The result showed that H2O2 was the most effective antiseptics than the others followed by CHX. The study bacteria were found to be crucially susceptible to the routinely used antiseptics tested. Though, there is the need for continuous surveillance for the detection of emerging resistance pattern.