Susceptibilities of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates to seven biocides

Minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of seven biocides for 42 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates at 5, 30, or 180 min, for hand scrubs or soaks, isolated in 2003 in Japan were determined. The MBC values of glutaraldehyde, povidone iodine, and ethanol were lower than the user concentrations in all exposure times. However, at 5 min exposure of sodium hypochlorite, benzalkonium chloride, alkyl-diaminoethylglycine hydrochloride, and chlorhexidine digluconate some strains showed higher MBC values than the user concentrations. These results indicated the possibility that MRSA survived under proper user concentration conditions and exposure time.