Bactericide

A bactericide or bacteriocide, abbreviated Bcidal, is a substance that kills bacteria and, ideally, nothing else. Bactericides are disinfectants, antiseptics or antibiotics.

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Bactericidal disinfectants

The most used disinfectants are those applying

Bactericidal antiseptics

As antiseptics (i.e., germicide agents that can be used on human or animal body, skin, mucoses, wounds and the like), few of the above mentioned disinfectants can be used, under proper conditions (mainly concentration, pH, temperature and toxicity toward humans and animals). Among them, some important are

Others are generally not applicable as safe antiseptics, either because of their corrosive or toxic nature.

Bactericidal antibiotics

Bactericidal antibiotics kill bacteria; bacteriostatic antibiotics slow their growth or reproduction.

Antibiotics that inhibit cell wall synthesis: the Beta-lactam antibiotics (penicillin derivatives (penams), cephalosporins (cephems), monobactams, and carbapenems) and vancomycin.

Also bactericidal are daptomycin, fluoroquinolones, metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, co-trimoxazole, telithromycin.

Aminoglycosidic antibiotics are usually considered bactericidal, although they may be bacteriostatic with some organisms

See also