Disinfection Statement

The inability to kill pathogenic microbes is rarely the reason for the transmission of infections in healthcare.  For disinfectants to make a contribution, they must interrupt routes of transmission of infection.  The Rapid Review Panel will use this as their prime criterion in the assessment of disinfectants submitted to them. 

Companies are further advised that the Rapid Review Panel will only evaluate disinfectant products that have demonstrated significantly improved in vitro disinfection activity when compared with appropriate established disinfection products.  Products with similar disinfection properties would need to show major clinical advantages over existing products in order to be considered.

The basic performance of disinfectant products is usually assessed using tests that have been approved by European Standards Organisation (CEN).  The current CEN standards are detailed in BS EN 14885:2006 Chemical disinfectants and antiseptics - Application of European Standards for chemical disinfectants and antiseptics.  If no specific tests are available for a required microorganisms in a specific field, e.g. spores in the medical area, results from another field e.g. spores in the food area, can be modified and are acceptable.

Disinfectant test data should be presented from independent testing laboratories wherever possible.  Such testing can be undertaken by non-accredited laboratories, laboratories with the individual disinfectant test (not the laboratory) accredited by UKAS (the United Kingdom Accreditation Service - www.ukas.com) or national reference laboratories.  Non-accredited laboratories provide a relatively cheap service and the results can be useful for product screening or the assessment of the correct concentration to use.  Once formulations and in-use concentrations have been established, the panel has a preference for efficacy data from UKAS accredited laboratories or national reference laboratories which, whilst more expensive, are regard as providing more robust data.  Companies are encouraged to extend testing beyond the standard tests to demonstrate what they consider their product's advantage to be, either as laboratory simulations or, ideally, as tests in the actual area of intended application.  It is important that as much information as possible is given in all test reports and should include details of the neutralisation used in the test, the validation of such neutralisation, the full test conditions, the validation of such test conditions including sampling and detailed test results.

Last reviewed: 23 February 2009