1102-A - Disinfectants 101: Mastering the Minutia

Session Description: Healthcare grade disinfectants are an essential tool in the bundle of preventing healthcare associated infections. Product development, registration and market release is contingent on specific criteria defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and varies between formulations. These testing methodologies are not commonly understood by end users but can be a useful adjunct for infection preventionists (IPs) in their role as subject matter experts related to disinfection in the healthcare environment. Production labels (on the canister or bottle) are usually not as comprehensive as the information found on an EPA master label and pertinent details may be found on the latter. Disinfectant to surface compatibility is a bifurcated challenge for IPs. End users need the disinfectants they use to be effective without cosmetic or functional damage to equipment. However, with increasing regulatory awareness of original equipment manufacturers’ instructions for use and the often limited options for disinfection IPs are further challenged to standardize processes for surface and equipment disinfection in their settings. This session will provide an in-depth review of the testing required for EPA registration, differentiate production and EPA master labels and show IPs how to access these open source materials for attaining more detailed information on their disinfectants and provide IPs with practical steps they can take to mitigate compatibility issues prospectively.