Disinfectants for Medical Practices, Hospitals & Labs

Disinfectants are among the most important tools for preventing infection transmission in medical facilities and play a crucial role in infection control in clinics, laboratories, and hospitals. Disinfection kills potentially harmful pathogens such as viruses, fungi, bacteria, and bacterial spores or inhibits their growth. When performed correctly, disinfection significantly reduces the microbial load, effectively preventing infection transmission and supporting compliance with hygiene standards in medical and hospital settings.

There are different disinfectants for various applications, including hand disinfection, surface disinfection, instrument disinfection, and skin disinfection. We provide an overview of the different products and their uses. You can easily find the right disinfectant for your needs online at Praxisdienst.

Medical Surface Disinfection

Germs can settle on all exposed surfaces via airborne droplets or direct contact. Only through consistent use of disinfectants can microbial contamination be reduced to a safe level. Areas near patients in medical facilities typically have a higher microbial load, increasing the risk of infection.

Surface disinfectants are available with various active ingredients. They differ not only in their antimicrobial spectrum but also in their material compatibility. When selecting a surface disinfectant, ensure that the product is suitable for the intended surface. We also offer medical disinfectants with high cleaning performance.

Common active ingredients include alcohol, quaternary ammonium compounds, activated oxygen, and organic acids, while aldehydes are rarely used.

The most effective method of surface disinfection is wiping with an appropriate disinfectant, such as Bacillol, Mikrobac, Desomed, or Kohrsolin.

As an alternative to ready-to-use quick disinfectants or economical concentrates, disinfectant wipes are increasingly popular. Ready-to-use disinfectant wipes are practical for quick disinfection, can be used on the go, and are ideal for disinfecting small surfaces without preparing a liquid solution.

When using surface disinfectants, appropriate protective gloves should always be worn to prevent skin irritation.

Instrument Disinfection

Medical instruments are disinfected prior to cleaning and sterilization to protect staff during reprocessing. Disinfected instruments can then be cleaned more safely, as the risk of infection transmission is greatly reduced.

Instruments are usually placed in a soaking bath immediately after use, though some facilities use machines called thermodisinfectors that automatically clean and disinfect instruments.

Instrument disinfectants are typically available as concentrates to prepare aqueous solutions. Care should be taken to use water at moderate temperatures to avoid harmful fumes.

For manual instrument reprocessing in a soaking bath, the solution should generally be renewed daily, or immediately if visibly soiled.

A wide range of products for instrument disinfection is available from Praxisdienst.

Hand Disinfection

Hand disinfection with a suitable hand disinfectant protects not only the user but also patients from infection. Depending on the medical field or facility, the disinfectant must be effective against specific, commonly occurring bacteria and viruses.

Typical hand disinfectants are at least bactericidal, usually fungicidal, and either limited virucidal or virucidal. A newer spectrum, called “limited virucidal plus,” inactivates all enveloped viruses and certain non-enveloped viruses that frequently cause outbreaks in hospitals and care facilities.

All hand disinfectants that are limited virucidal, virucidal, or limited virucidal plus are effective against SARS-CoV-2.

While infection control is critical in fields like general medicine or paediatrics, where patients with infectious diseases are common, hand disinfection plays a lesser role in specialties like neurology. In nursing homes and other communal settings, emphasis should be placed on effectiveness against noroviruses and other rapidly spreading pathogens.

Hand disinfectants, such as Sterillium products, are available in our online shop in sizes from 100 ml to 5 litres. We offer a wide range of products for hygienic hand disinfection and surgical hand disinfection. To prevent skin dryness, care products such as Baktolan care balm can be used.

Skin Disinfection

To prevent germs from entering a wound, skin is disinfected prior to invasive procedures, punctures, injections, and blood draws. Usually, skin disinfectants are applied by spray, though swabs may also be used. Proper contact time is essential for effective disinfection, especially on oily skin.

Praxisdienst offers a wide selection of skin disinfectants, such as Cutasept from Bode or Braunoderm® uncoloured from B. Braun.

Order Disinfectants at Praxisdienst

In this category, medical professionals can access a wide range of well-known disinfectants from trusted manufacturers such as Paul Hartmann, Bode, and B. Braun.

We also offer all the necessary hygiene accessories, from protective gloves and dispensers to disinfectant detergents and various disinfection accessories.

Looking to buy disinfectants or have questions about any of our products? Our customer advisors will be happy to assist you.

Editors: Anne-Catherine Fadler & Susanne Birk