evaluating activity of disinfectants Flashcards
what are the ideal properties of a disinfectant
broad spectrum, fast acting, not affected by environmental factors, non toxic, surface compatibility, residual effect on treated surface, odorless, economical, soluble, stability, cleaner, environmental friendly
what are the factors linked to microorganisms that affect activity of disinfectants
nature of microorganisms, physiologic state of microorganisms, microbial communities and biofilms, natural and acquired resistance
what are the factors linked to antimicrobial agent that affect activity of disinfectants
conc, temp, electrolytes (can cause precipitation), presence of organic matter, additives and components of excipients
what are the stages of bacteria growth
lag, log/exponential, stationary, death
what is the lag phase of bacteria growth
cells are not dormant but are starting the processes for cell replication like RNA and enzyme synthesis
what is the log/ exponential phase of bacteria growth
cells are doubling at constant rate (slope represents speed of process)
what is the stationary phase of bacteria growth
growth limiting factors affect replication, making growth and death rate comparable
what phase is affected if agent is bacteriostatic
increases lag phase
what are the kinetic parameters
rate constants, temp coeff, electric field
what are the factors that can affect efficacy of disinfectants
number of microbes, innate resistance of microorganisms, conc and potency of disinfectant, chemical and physical factors (pH, temp, water hardness), organic and inorganic matter, duration of exposure, biofilms
what is the process of evaluation tests
- preparation of carriers (usually stainless steel, PVC)
- preparation of test organism and inoculum
- inoculation, drying and transfer of the carrier
- exposure of the dried inoculation to the test substance or control fluid
- neutralisation of the test substance and elution of test organism
- dilution and recovery of test organism
- counting the surviving test organism and assessing the performance of the test substance
how is the representativeness and reliability of test strains determined by
determined by 1. exposure time (time, pH, temp, number and type of microorganism)
2. interfering factors (use of bovine aka cow serum to simulate organic contamination which is usually the most difficult to eliminate, safe to use)
3. interpreting criteria (using log reduction in a certain amount of time)
what is the alternative to using bovine serum for testing
two step method where test substance is strained in solution (aq suspension of a mixture of bacteria and water), bacteria and dirt aka interfering substance dried onto stainless steel discs and disinfectant tested
what is the log reduction you should aim for
4-6log reduction
what is MIC
minimum inhibitory conc - lowest conc of an antimicrobial agent that is bacteriostatic (inhibit growth)
what is MEC
minimum effective conc - lowest conc of an antimicrobial agent that shows bactericidal effect
what is MRC
minimum recc conc - takes into account imperfect processes (MRC > MEC)
what is MBC
minimum bactericidal conc - lowest conc of an antibacterial agent to show at least a 3lg reduction after comparison with initial preincubation conc after incubating for 18-24h
what is MSC
minimum selective conc - for biofilms
what is an inoculum
population of microorganisms or cells that is introduced in the fermentation medium or any other suitable medium
how do you prepare an inoculum
putting selected strain onto carrier and growing it to a certain extent -> now known as initial microbial load
what is the alternative to neutralisation
washing by membrane filtration (preferred over neutralisation)
what is the advantage of membrane filtration
permits processing of entire eluate volumes and more efficient removal of any residue of the test substance
when is counting of survivor done
after cultivation and growth of test organism in suitable medium
how to ensure no other bacteria is counted during counting of survivor
use of propanol to eliminate almost all potential contamination during washing step