What is the Difference Between Antibiotic and Antiseptic and Disinfectant?

Antibiotics, antiseptics, and disinfectants are all chemical substances used to inhibit or kill microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. However, they differ in their modes of action, spectrum of activity, and applications.

Antibiotics:

• Effective against bacteria only.
• Kill and inhibit the growth and development of bacteria.
• Usually taken orally.
• Examples include Penicillin, Keflex, and Zithromax.

Antiseptics:

• Effective against a wide range of microorganisms.
• Inhibit the growth and development of microorganisms without necessarily killing them.
• Applied topically.
• Examples include hydrogen peroxide, boric acid, alcohol, and iodine.

Disinfectants:

• Similar to antiseptics but generally used on inanimate surfaces.
• Can be sporostatic but not necessarily sporicidal.
• Contain chemicals such as alcohol, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, quaternary ammonium compounds, chlorine and chlorine compounds, iodophors, ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA), phenolics, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide.

In summary, antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria, antiseptics are used to clean and prevent infections on the skin, and disinfectants are used to kill microorganisms on nonliving surfaces.

Comparative Table: Antibiotic vs Antiseptic vs Disinfectant

Here is a table comparing the differences between antibiotics, antiseptics, and disinfectants:

In summary, antibiotics are effective against bacteria, fungi, and some parasites, while antiseptics are effective against a wide range of microorganisms and are applied topically. Disinfectants, on the other hand, are applied to nonliving surfaces and can inactivate microbial contaminants.