A surfactant is a chemical compound that lowers the surface tension of an aqueous solution. Surfactants are used as wetting agents, detergents, and emulsifiers. There primary use in medicine is as antiseptics and disinfectants.
Surfactants are cationic, anionic, or nonionic.
The anionic surfactants are primarily represented by soaps.
Soaps are antibacterial against gram-positive and acid-fast organisms. The most important mechanism by which soap produces a beneficial effect is through physical emulsification of lipoidal secretions (containing bacteria) of the skin. Bacteria become suspended in lather and are rinsed away.
Antibacterial activity of soaps can be enhanced by addition of certain antiseptics. Soap with hexachlorophene (pHisohex®) and soap with octyl phenoxyethyl ether sulfonate (pHisoderm®) have been produced. However, concern over the toxicity of hexachlorophene caused the removal of pHisohex® from the market.
Last modified on Friday, June 22, 2001 5:22 PM by John Blake