The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7362 p194
13 August 2005

This article
Reprint   Photocopy

PDF 100K, Acrobat Reader

· Antibiotic resistance
· Registration examination
· Registration
· Pharmacy practice
· Hospital disinfection
· Reciprocity (2)
· National boards
· Regulation of medicines
· Hospital pharmacy (2)
· New oxygen contract

Letters to the Editor

Hospital disinfection

Previous letter requires correction

From Professor R. M. E. Richards, FRPharmS

The content and to some extent the heading of Stanley Blum’s letter (PJ, 30 July, p139, see correction) demonstrate a poor understanding of microbiology. Sterilisation is an absolute term and the concept of “hospital sterilisation” is untenable. In this context “hospital disinfection” is the more appropriate heading.

The phrase “100 per cent kill rate” is also confusing. Death rate implies a certain number of organisms are killed within a certain period. In this context the time to kill 90 per cent of bacteria under controlled conditions and at a known temperature — known as the decimal reduction time or D value — is the usual value to quote. Alternatively a statement that a certain percentage of organisms were killed within a certain period under controlled conditions is valid.

Also it should be noted that it is not possible to determine a 100 per cent kill of micro-organisms.

R. Michael E. Richards
Professor Emeritus
The Robert Gordon University,
Aberdeen

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (Pharmacy practice)
Next Topic (Reciprocity)