In which strength Savlon used for disinfectant?

Appeared in: SJH Nursing Officer - 2019

Explanation

Savlon is a widely used disinfectant composed of Chlorhexidine and Cetrimide.
Standard textbooks on community medicine and pharmacology cite a 1:20 aqueous solution as the effective strength for general disinfection.
This dilution provides a balance of antimicrobial efficacy and safety for use on surfaces and equipment.
A stronger 1:6 dilution in spirit is reserved for applications requiring faster and more potent action, such as disinfecting clinical thermometers.

Option A: A 1:40 dilution is weaker than the standard recommended strength. This would reduce its germicidal efficacy, making it unreliable for disinfection.
Option C: While sometimes used for general cleaning, a 1:30 dilution is not the standard cited strength for disinfection. The 1:20 ratio is the benchmark for effective antimicrobial action in an aqueous solution.
Option D: This option is identical to option A. A 1:40 dilution is too weak and does not meet the standard concentration required for effective disinfection.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Knowledge of the correct dilution strength for common disinfectants, specifically Savlon as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Using the correct disinfectant concentration is a critical component of infection control to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
An incorrect dilution can lead to failure in decontamination, posing a risk to both patients and healthcare workers. A solution that is too weak is ineffective, while one that is too strong can damage equipment or cause skin irritation.
What if? If you need to disinfect a clinical thermometer quickly between patients, the standard 1:20 aqueous solution may not be sufficient. In this case, the recommended practice is to use a 1:6 Savlon solution in spirit, which can disinfect the thermometer in under 3 minutes.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is asking for the standard disinfectant strength of Savlon.
This is a factual recall question based on standard nursing and medical protocols.
Recall the composition of Savlon (Chlorhexidine and Cetrimide) and its recommended dilutions for different purposes.
The standard aqueous dilution for general disinfection is 1:20.
Compare this knowledge with the given options. Option B matches the standard strength.
Eliminate the other options. 1:40 is too dilute, and 1:30 is not the standard, even if used colloquially for cleaning.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Knowledge of the correct dilution strength for common disinfectants, specifically Savlon.
Stem keywords: Savlon, disinfectant, strength
Lead-in keywords: In which

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Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.