CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Liquid disinfectants are antimicrobial agents that are applied to non-living objects to destroy microorganisms that are living on the objects. The process of killing the microbes is called disinfection which is the killing of some or all of the pathogenic organisms that cause infection. Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacteria spores; it is less effective than sterilization, which is an extreme physical and chemical process that kills all types of life (U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Disinfectants are different from other antimicrobial agents such as antibiotics, which destroy microorganisms within the body, and antiseptics, which destroy microorganisms on living tissue. Disinfectants are also different from biocides. The latter are intended to destroy all forms of life not just microorganisms. Disinfectants work by destroying the cell wall of microbes or interfering with the metabolism.
Sanitizers are substances that simultaneously clean and disinfect (Mid Sussex District Council 2009). Disinfectants are frequently used in hospitals, dental surgeries, kitchens, and bathrooms to kill infectious organisms. Bacterial endospores are most resistant to disinfectants, but some viruses and bacteria also possess some tolerance.
There are arguments for creating or maintaining conditions that are not conducive to bacterial survival and multiplication, rather than attempting to kill them with chemicals. Bacteria can increase in number very quickly, which enables them to evolve rapidly. Should some bacteria survive a chemical attack, they give rise to new generations composed completely of bacteria that are resistance to particular chemical used. Under a sustained chemical attack, the surviving bacteria in successive generations are increasingly resistant to the chemical used, and ultimately the chemical is rendered ineffective.
1.1 AIM
· To determine the application of disinfectants on wounds using animal model (Albino rats)
1.2 OBJECTIVES
· To determine the time duration of healing using animal models
· To determine the efficacy of the chosen disinfectants
· To identify the organism isolated from the wounds