Irritant and sensitizing potential of antiseptics and disinfectants: an overview

There are differences in the use of antiseptics and disinfectants. Antiseptics inhibit the growth and development of microorganisms on living tissues and are used for preoperative skin preparation, wound cleansing, and the treatment of superficial skin infections. In contrast, disinfectants reduces microbial contamination in the vegetative phase on inert materials, such as surfaces and medical devices. Disinfectants and antiseptics are irritants, especially when used in high concentrations, over prolonged periods, or on damaged skin. Additionally, many of them may have sensitizing potential, which is likely underestimated. Allergic contact dermatitis can only be diagnosed through a careful anamnesis and appropriate patch tests. These review provides an overview of the main disinfectants and antiseptics, highlighting their properties to aid in appropriate selection and minimize adverse effects. Benzalkonium chloride, cetrimide, sodium hypochlorite, ethyl and isopropyl alcohol are described for their use as both disinfectants and antiseptics. Other disinfectants discussed include glutaraldehyde, phenols, peracetic acid. Among the antiseptics, povidone-iodine, chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, mercurochrome/merbromine, silver-based dressings and triclosan are also reviewed. This article presents a literature review of major studies published in English up to december 2024. The electronic search was conducted using the PubMed database of the US National Library of Medicine. We discuss recent findings on these antiseptics and disinfectants, which are widely used.