CHG Disinfectant Cotton Swabs (Skin Disinfection Sticks): A Convenient Tool for Efficient Skin Disinfection

I. Product Introduction

CHG disinfectant cotton swabs (skin disinfection sticks) are a kind of medical supplies specially designed for skin disinfection. They mainly consist of cotton swabs (sticks) and a disinfectant solution containing chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG). This combination enables them to play an important role in medical operations, wound care, and daily skin disinfection scenarios.

II. Specific Applications

(I) Medical Scenarios

1. Disinfection Before Injection
   Before various injection operations (such as intravenous injection, intramuscular injection, subcutaneous injection, etc.), medical staff will use CHG disinfectant cotton swabs to disinfect the injection sites. For example, in hospital wards or outpatient injection rooms, nurses will gently wipe the patient’s arm or buttocks with the disinfectant swabs. The CHG component can effectively kill bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that may exist on the skin surface at the injection site, reducing the risk of injection infections and providing a guarantee for safe injections.
2. Disinfection Before Surgical Operations
   Before surgical operations, skin disinfection in the surgical area is a crucial step. CHG disinfectant cotton swabs can be used to carefully disinfect the skin around the surgical incision. The disinfectant solution can penetrate into the skin texture, remove more microorganisms, and ensure that the surgical area is in a relatively sterile state, reducing the incidence of postoperative infections. For example, before complex surgeries such as heart surgery and cesarean section, the strict skin disinfection process cannot be separated from the use of CHG disinfectant cotton swabs.
3. Disinfection of the Contact Parts of Medical Devices
   When medical devices need to directly contact the patient’s skin, such as the probe of a stethoscope and the part of the blood pressure cuff that touches the skin, using CHG disinfectant cotton swabs for disinfection can prevent cross-infection. Medical staff can regularly wipe these contact parts with disinfectant swabs to kill harmful microorganisms that may remain on them, ensuring the cleanliness and safe use of medical devices.

(II) Wound Care

1. Cleaning Wounds
   For fresh wounds, such as abrasions and cuts, CHG disinfectant cotton swabs can be used for preliminary wound cleaning. Gently dip the exudate from the wound with the disinfectant swab, and at the same time, use the disinfectant solution to disinfect the skin around the wound. This can remove dirt, impurities and bacteria on the wound surface, creating good conditions for wound healing. For example, when a child accidentally scrapes his knee while playing, parents can use CHG disinfectant cotton swabs to disinfect the wound and the surrounding skin.
2. Preventing Wound Infections
   After wound treatment, regularly using CHG disinfectant cotton swabs to disinfect the wound helps prevent infections. Especially for some wounds that are prone to infection, such as the wounds of diabetic patients or deep wounds, the continuous disinfection effect of CHG can effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria, reduce the risk of wound infection, and promote the normal healing of the wound.

(III) Daily Disinfection

1. Personal Hygiene Care
   In daily life, people can also use CHG disinfectant cotton swabs for personal hygiene care. For example, after squeezing pimples or dealing with minor skin breaks, disinfecting the corresponding parts with disinfectant swabs can prevent skin infections and maintain skin health. For some parts that are prone to sweating, such as the armpits and groin, occasionally using CHG disinfectant cotton swabs to wipe can also help reduce bacterial growth and prevent skin inflammation.
2. Public Health Scenarios
   In some public health scenarios, such as gyms and swimming pools, CHG disinfectant cotton swabs can be used to disinfect the parts of public facilities (such as the handles of fitness equipment and the handrails beside the swimming pool) that come into contact with human skin. After people use these facilities, simply wiping the skin parts that have been in contact with the disinfectant swabs can reduce the risk of contact-transmitted diseases and maintain public health and safety.

III. Product Characteristics

(I) Efficient Disinfection

1. Advantages of the Disinfectant Component
   Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) in CHG disinfectant cotton swabs is a broad-spectrum antibacterial agent, which has a good killing effect on many kinds of bacteria, fungi and some viruses. It can destroy the cell membrane structure of microorganisms, causing the leakage of internal substances of microorganisms and thus leading to their death. Compared with some other disinfectant components, the disinfection effect of CHG is long-lasting. It can form a protective film on the skin surface and continuously inhibit the growth of microorganisms.
2. Verification of Disinfection Effect
   A large number of laboratory tests and clinical applications have shown that CHG disinfectant cotton swabs can significantly reduce the number of microorganisms on the skin surface under the specified usage time and methods. For example, after disinfecting the skin surface, the growth numbers of bacteria and fungi in the microbial culture are significantly less than those on the undisinfected skin, which proves its high-efficiency disinfection ability.

(II) Convenient to Use

1. Independent Packaging Design
   CHG disinfectant cotton swabs usually adopt the form of independent packaging. Each disinfectant cotton swab is individually packaged in a sealed package. This design is convenient for medical staff and users to carry and store, and can ensure that each disinfectant cotton swab is in a sterile state before use. In emergency medical situations or when traveling, independently packaged disinfectant cotton swabs can be easily put into first aid kits or pockets and taken out for use at any time.
2. Easy to Operate
   The usage method of disinfectant cotton swabs is simple and easy to understand. Users only need to open the package, hold the cotton swab stick, and gently wipe the part of the skin that needs to be disinfected with the end containing the disinfectant solution. Both medical staff and ordinary people can easily master its usage method without the need for complicated training. Moreover, the design of the cotton swab stick conforms to the principle of ergonomics, which is comfortable to hold and convenient to operate.

(III) High Safety

1. Low Irritation to the Skin
   The concentration of the disinfectant solution in CHG disinfectant cotton swabs is carefully adjusted. While ensuring the disinfection effect, it has low irritation to the skin. Unlike some disinfection products containing ingredients with strong irritation such as alcohol, CHG disinfectant cotton swabs generally will not cause redness, pain or allergic reactions on the skin when wiping. This enables it to be widely used on various skin types, including sensitive skin.
2. No Toxic Residues
   After disinfection, the CHG component will gradually decompose on the skin surface and will not leave toxic residues. This is very important for long-term use or after large-area skin disinfection, because it will not cause potential harm to human health and ensures the safety and health of the skin.

IV. Precautions

(I) Scope of Application

1. Pay Attention to Skin Types and Conditions
   Although CHG disinfectant cotton swabs are relatively safe for most skin types, for some special skin conditions, such as severe burns and skin ulcers, it is advisable to consult a doctor’s advice before use. Because in these cases, the skin’s barrier function has been damaged, and the tolerance to disinfectant components may be reduced, so they need to be used with caution to avoid adverse reactions.
2. Avoid Using on Mucous Membrane Parts
   CHG disinfectant cotton swabs are mainly used for skin disinfection and are generally not recommended for use on mucous membrane parts such as the eyes, mouth, and nasal cavity. These mucous membrane tissues are relatively sensitive, and CHG may cause irritation or damage to them. If it is necessary to disinfect the mucous membrane parts, specialized mucous membrane disinfectants should be used.

(II) Usage Method

1. Correct Wiping Method
   When using CHG disinfectant cotton swabs, you should wipe in the correct way. Generally, gently wipe the disinfected part in a concentric circle from the inside to the outside to ensure that the disinfectant solution can cover the entire area that needs to be disinfected. Avoid wiping back and forth repeatedly to prevent the already disinfected area from being contaminated again. At the same time, pay attention to using moderate wiping force and do not use excessive force to avoid damaging the skin.
2. Pay Attention to Disinfection Time
   Different disinfection scenarios and requirements may require different disinfection times. Generally speaking, for the disinfection of injection sites, the wiping time can be about 30 seconds; for wound disinfection, it may be necessary to appropriately extend the time to ensure that the disinfectant solution can fully play its role. However, do not over-disinfect to avoid unnecessary irritation to the skin.

(III) Storage Conditions

1. Requirements for Temperature and Humidity
   CHG disinfectant cotton swabs should be stored in a cool and dry place, avoiding direct sunlight. The suitable storage temperature is generally around room temperature (15 – 30 °C). Too high a temperature may affect the stability of the disinfectant solution, and too low a temperature may cause the liquid to freeze, affecting the normal use of the product. At the same time, avoid placing the disinfectant cotton swabs in a humid environment to prevent the packaging from getting wet and the cotton swabs from being contaminated.
2. Management of the Expiration Date
   Pay attention to checking the expiration date of the product. Expired CHG disinfectant cotton swabs may lose their disinfection effect due to changes in the disinfectant solution components, and may even produce harmful substances. Before use, be sure to check the production date and expiration date on the packaging to ensure that the product used is within the expiration date.