Contamination of mercurochrome and chlorhexidine-cetrimide in a teaching hospital.

ABSTRACT

A study on the contamination of antiseptics was done in a teaching hospital, during March and April 1989. Ninety-five samples of 9 antiseptics from 23 wards were cultured. Results showed that 2 of 12 and 3 of 5 samples of mercurochrome and chlorhexidine-cetrimide compound were contaminated. This led to a wider scale study on the two products. It was found that over one-half of the samples of mercurochrome and 6 of 54 samples of chlorhexidine-etrimide compound were contaminated. Mercurochrome was contaminated by gram-positive and chlorhexidine-cetrimide compound by gram-negative bacteria. Contamination of mercurochrome was found in samples taken from the pharmacy and wards, and of chlorhexidine-cetrimide compound from wards only. Mercurochrome was removed from the hospital formulary and the use of chlorhexidine-cetrimide compound was more restricted.