Antiseptic

Keywords

Antiseptic, disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide, grazes, cuts, wounds, concentration, microorganisms.

Introduction

We all have cuts and grazes. It's part of everyday life. As a child, you will fall over, and you might graze your knee, for example. What can we do to help clean it?

Water Always Helps

Sure, you can use water to clean that graze. No problem. But what water doesn't do properly is clean the wound. It will give it a wash though, so that's a start.

What else can you do?

Use an Antiseptic

Before we go about using these antiseptics, let's talk about what they are first.

• An antiseptic is a chemical agent that will slow down or stop microorganisms from growing in the area you place it.
• So, if you have a cut, or you've grazed your knee like mentioned at the top of the page, you can clean it with an antiseptic, and it will keep the area clean and stop all those germs and bacteria from spreading to the open wound.
• Most antiseptics used on cuts and grazes use hydrogen peroxide, in a small concentration (about 6%). This is OK for use on skin. But there are other uses for antiseptics.

What are Those Other Uses

Other uses of antiseptic include bleach and oxidising agents.

Interesting fact: Louis Pasteur's work in microbiology saw many other scientists follow in his footsteps, and it inspired one Joseph Lister to publish a paper called Antiseptic Principle, which outlined his method to kill bacteria using phenol and carbolic acid.

What's that I hear you say? Bleach isn't an antiseptic. But yes, it is. Bleach is about 30% concentration, which is why we use it to clean surfaces, or toilets and bathrooms.

Chlorine is also an antiseptic. We all know chlorine is used in swimming pools, to treat the water to keep it clean on a cyclic action. This is an antiseptic.

Can I Just use Disinfectant?

Ah, good question. While a disinfectant is also an antiseptic in the manner that it kills microorganisms, it is meant to be used on non-living surfaces.

So in answer to that question, no. Short and simple, hey?

What are the Differences?

So, we know that antiseptic is for use on our body, and disinfectant is used on non-living surfaces.

Let's put an example to this. You need surgery, so to prepare (you've been given anaesthetic) you and the areas around you, the doctor will clean your body using an antiseptic, and before you are put on the table, they will clean that with the disinfectant.

Uses of Antiseptics

Uses of antiseptic include:

• Hand washing: simple, we all know how to do this.
• Cleaning skin before an operation: doctors will do this, as mentioned above.
• Treating skin infections: that knee graze, it's getting this treatment to keep it clean.
• Throat and mouth infections: yes, if you have a sore throat, it can be treated by taking a throat lozenge.

Are They Safe?

To a degree, yes. You should only be using them for shallow cuts and grazes to clean around the open wound. They really shouldn't be used for anything bigger, as they are designed for use on skin only. Anything deeper than skin-deep cuts, and you start to run into problems. But then, you shouldn't be performing open surgery on someone yourself either. Leave that to the professionals.