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An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms (microbicide) or stops their growth (bacteriostatic agent). [1] Antimicrobial medicines can be grouped according to the microorganisms they act primarily against. For example, antibiotics are used against bacteria, and antifungals are used against fungi. They can also be classified ...
An antiseptic (Greek: ἀντί, romanized: anti, lit. 'against' [1] and σηπτικός, sēptikos, 'putrefactive' [2]) is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue to reduce the possibility of sepsis, infection, or putrefaction.
Side effects of alcohols applied to the skin include skin irritation. [2] Care should be taken with electrocautery, as ethanol is flammable. [1] Types of alcohol used include ethanol, denatured ethanol, 1-propanol, and isopropyl alcohol. [6] [7] Alcohols are effective against a range of microorganisms, though they do not inactivate spores. [7]
An illustration shows the different effects of the bacteriostatic agent and bactericidal agent. A bacteriostatic agent or bacteriostat, abbreviated Bstatic, is a biological or chemical agent that stops bacteria from reproducing, while not necessarily killing them otherwise.
A bactericide or bacteriocide, sometimes abbreviated Bcidal, is a substance which kills bacteria. Bactericides are disinfectants, antiseptics, or antibiotics. [1] However, material surfaces can also have bactericidal properties based solely on their physical surface structure, as for example biomaterials like insect wings.
Rubbing alcohol, also known as surgical spirit in some regions, refers to a group of denatured alcohols commonly used as topical antiseptics. These solutions are primarily composed of either isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) or ethanol , with isopropyl alcohol being the more widely available formulation.
Finally, cancer creates conditions in which alcohol is more easily absorbed into the body. "Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer ...
Unlike acetaldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitors and other disulfiram-like drugs, alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitors such as fomepizole (brand name Antizol) inhibit the metabolism of alcohol into acetaldehyde, thereby increasing and extending the effects of alcohol and reducing its toxicity. [4]