Table 2.
List of hand antiseptic ingredients approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) used in healthcare and over the counter (OTC) [30].
| Active Ingredient | Patient Antiseptic Skin Preparations | Healthcare Personal Hand Wash | Healthcare Personal Hand Rub | Surgical Hand Scrub | Surgical Hand Scrub |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol 60%–95% | Y | N | Y | N | Y |
| Benzalkonium chloride | Y | Y | Y | Y | N |
| Benzethonium chloride | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Chlorhexidine gluconate | N | N | N | N | N |
| Chloroxylenol | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Cloflucarban | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Fluorosalan | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Hexylresorcinol | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Iodine complex (ammonium ether sulfate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate) | N | Y | N | Y | N |
| Iodine complex (phosphate ester of alkylaryloxy polyethylene glycol) | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Iodine tincture United States Pharmacopeia (USP) | Y | N | N | N | N |
| Iodine topical solution USP | Y | N | N | N | N |
| Nonylphenoxypoly (ethyleneoxy) ethanoliodine | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Poloxamer-iodine complex | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Povidone-iodine 5%–10% | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Undecoylium chloride iodine complex | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Isopropyl alcohol 70%–91.3% | Y | N | Y | N | Y |
| Mercufenol chloride | Y | N | N | N | N |
| Methylbenzethonium chloride | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Phenol (equal to or less than 1.5%) | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Phenol (greater than 1.5%) | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Secondary amyltricresols | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Sodium oxychlorosene | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Triclocarban | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Triclosan | Y | Y | N | Y | N |
| Combinations: Calomel, oxyquinoline benzoate, triethanolamine, and phenol derivative | Y | N | N | N | N |
| Combinations: Mercufenol chloride and secondary amyltricresols in 50% alcohol | Y | N | N | N | N |
| Combinations: Triple dye | Y | N | N | N | N |
Y: Eligible for specified use; N: Ineligible for specified use.