This is a more common occurrence than one might think. In fact, this is an actual question that my colleagues and I are presented with on a regular basis. So what may you ask is our brilliant response? Quite frankly, one must realize that no guideline can realistically evaluate and include reference to all suitable disinfectants. There are over 8000 disinfectant products registered in North America. Can you imagine having to evaluate all of those products? Nor is it possible for the committee whom created the guideline to continually amend the document to include any new disinfectants that are brought to market between the date of original publication and any subsequent revision – which is typically several years later. For these reasons, there could very easily be several disinfectants that would be deemed satisfactory for use but have not been referenced in the guidelines and there also may have been changes to contact time or claims on products that had been included in the earlier version of the guideline. For the reason, the product label as approved by Health Canada, US EPA or FDA should always take precedence.
