Disinfectants and antiseptics

An Online Treasure Hunt

Microbiology
 Introduction

• Cleaning your toilets and sinks, cleaning the

floor and furniture, keeping our hand sterile
when we go on duty, keeping forceps
uninfected and cleaning wound of our
clients.
• These are the ways of keeping our environment
safe from pathogenic microorganisms that may
infect ourselves and even our patients. How do we
keep them clean and safe ? what do we use? What
are disinfectants and antiseptics? What are its
components, properties, types? We will find out in
this online treasure hunt. After working on this
activity, you should be able to recognize
antiseptics and disinfectants around you and
appreciate their value.
• The activity is simple. Working in groups of two
or three answer the questions below by reading
the websites listed (under “Resources”). Note
that the websites are not arranged the same way
the questions are arranged. Read the questions,
click on the website URLS, and read the websites
carefully. Write down your answers neatly and
be ready to discuss them in class. And then
proceed to answer the Big Question.
 Questions

1. What are the components of antiseptics and

disinfectants? Give an example of each.
2. What is the difference between disinfectants
and antiseptics?
3. What are the different actions of the
disinfectants and antiseptics?
4. When are these solutions used?
5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of
every solutions?
 Resources

• Disinfectants and antiseptics actions and components

• http
://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=
88911
• http://www.icm.tn.gov.in/drug%20formulary/DISINFECT
ANTS%20&%20ANTISEPTICS(13).htm
•  
• differences between disinfectants and antiseptics
• http://www.engenderhealth.org/ip/aseptic/atm5.html
• advantages and disadvantages
• http://www.reproline.jhu.edu/english/4morerh/4ip/IP_
 The Big Question

• Look around you (your house, school,

hospital, etc.) and see how many
disinfectants and antiseptics you can find.
Identify the disinfectants and antiseptics. If
you can, determine the composition and uses
of the disinfectants and antiseptics
advantages and disadvantages e.g. adverse
reactions or toxic effects (sometimes this is
indicated in the container).
• Present your answers in the form of tables
using the power point ,then show pictures of
different solutions found in your
environment, thus:
 Name of the action advantages disadvantages
disinfectant
       
       
       
       
       
       
Name of the antiseptic action advantages disadvantages
       
       
       
       
       
       
• Do this activity as a group—that is, the same
group that did the online treasure hunt.
Make sure everybody contributes to the list. 
You will get one point for every correct item
in every column of the table and every
picture. This means the more correct items,
the higher your score.
• Present your products in class ……. Happy
hunting for solutions!