Bactericidal Activity of Different Generations of Quaternary Ammonium Disinfectants as per EN 1276: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The most challenging issues facing modern medical practices are microbial infections acquired from Hospitals (HAIs). Different generations of disinfectants based on quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are used to address the challenges posed by HAIs. However, the antimicrobial efficacy of disinfectants varies significantly because of compositions and factors like hard water and the presence of interfering materials. The utilization of inefficient QACs disinfectants can result in a further increase in the incidents of HAIs and resistance in microbes. In the present study, the impact of organic load and hard water on the antimicrobial efficacy of different generation QACs disinfectants was evaluated using European norm EN 1276.