What to know
Table 4 from the Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities (2008).
Table
Format Change [February 2017]
| Chemical Characteristics | Hydrogen Peroxide (7.5%) | Peracetic Acid (0.2%) | Glutaraldehyde (≥2.0%) | OPA (0.55%) | Hydrogen Peroxide / Peracetic Acid (7.35%/0.23%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-level disinfectant claim | 30 minutes @ 20°C | Not Applicable | 20-90 minutes @ 20o-25°C | 12 minutes @ 20°C,5 minutes @ 25°C in AER | 15 minutes @ 20°C |
| Sterilization Claim | 6 hours @ 20°C | 12 minutes @ 50-56°C | 10 hours @ 20o-25°C | None | 3 h @ 20°C |
| Activation | No | No | Yes (alkaline glutaraldehyde) | No | No |
| Reuse life (number of days a product can be reused as determined by re-use protocol) | 21 days | Single use | 14-30 days | 14 days | 14 days |
| Shelf life stability (time a product can remain in storage (unused)) | 2 years | 6 months | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
| Disposal Restrictions | None | None | Local (no U.S. EPA regulations exist but some states and local authorities have disposal restrictions) | Local (no U.S. EPA regulations exist but some states and local authorities have disposal restrictions) | None |
| Materials Compatibility | Good | Good | Excellent | Excellent | No data |
| Monitor MEC of solution | Yes (6%) | No | Yes (1.5% or higher) | Yes (0.3% OPA) | No |
| Safety | Serious eye irritant (safety glasses) | Serious eye and skin irritant (conc soln) 5 | Respiratory irritant | Eye irritant, stains skin | Eye irritant |
| Processing | Manual or automated | Automated | Manual or automated | Manual or automated | Manual |
| Organic material resistance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OSHA exposure limit | 1 ppm TWA | None | None (The ceiling limit recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists is 0.05 ppm.) | None | Hydrogen Peroxide -1 ppm (time-weighted average for a conventional 8-hour workday) |
| Cost profile (per cycle)1 | + (manual)++ (automated) | +++++ (automated) | + (manual)++ (automated) | ++ (manual) | ++ (manual) |
Modified from Rutala. 69
Abbreviations & Footnotes
OPA ortho-phthalaldehyde (FDA cleared as a high-level disinfectant, included for comparison to other chemical agents used for high-level disinfection)
AER Automated Endoscope Reprocessor
MEC minimum effective concentration is the lowest concentration of active ingredients at which the product is still effective
1 per cycle cost profile considers cost of the processing solution (suggested list price to healthcare facilities in August 2001) and assumes maximum use life (e.g., 21 days for hydrogen peroxide, 14 days for glutaraldehyde), 5 reprocessing cycles per day, 1-gallon basin for manual processing, and 4-gallon tank for automated processing.
+ = least expensive;
+++++ = most expensive