Chloroxylenol 4.8% solution
Available from pharmacies, supermarkets, and retail outlets
Chloroxylenol, or para-chloro-meta-xylenol (PCMX), is an antiseptic and disinfectant agent used for skin disinfection and surgical instruments.
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Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Chloroxylenol
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Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Chloroxylenol
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1 branded products available
Part of the Dettol brand family (generic: Chloroxylenol)
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Chloroxylenol on the MHRA register
Dettol 4.8% liquid
This is the NHS Drug Tariff indicative price used for reimbursement purposes. It may not reflect the price paid by patients or pharmacies.
View full Drug TariffSource: NHS Drug Tariff via NHSBSA. Derived from dm+d VMPP (Virtual Medicinal Product Pack) pricing data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
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Supply & safety information
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Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. Shortage and safety information sourced from MHRA drug safety updates (gov.uk, Crown Copyright under OGL v3.0).
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF code shown is the factual mapping value distributed by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in the dm+d supplementary file under OGL v3.0; it is not affiliated with, nor licensed from, the publishers of the British National Formulary. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 3 · Randomised trials: 2 · 1977–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Erol Çapkın, Tuna Ozcelep, Şevki Kayış, et al.
Chemosphere, 2017
- Anti-Infective Agents
- Borates
- DNA Damage
A. Russell, J. Furr
The Journal of applied bacteriology, 1977
- Chlorhexidine
- Disinfectants
- Edetic Acid
Henry Lukabwe, Rodgers Kajabwangu, Dale Mugisha, et al.
Pan African Medical Journal, 2022
- Anti-Infective Agents, Local
- Cesarean Section
- Hospitals
Introduction: Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) constitute 15%-45% of hospital acquired infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Cesarean section (CS) increases the risk of developing sepsis by 5-20 times and is highest when the operation is emergency. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure the effect of chloroxylenol in reducing the incidence of post cesarean SSIs at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH). Methods: a randomized controlled trial was conducted at MRRH maternity ward and mothers were randomized into either control or intervention arms. The intervention was a complete body bath with chloroxylenol antiseptic soap before the operation, while the control arm participants received a standard ward pre-operative preparation procedures. All participants were followed up for 30 days and assessed using an SSI screening tool. Results: ninety-six women were randomized, and 48 were assigned to each arm. The overall incidence of SSI was 30.21%. The incidence of SSI was significantly lower in the intervention compared to the control arm (6.25% in the intervention arm versus 54.17% in the control arm) (p-value <0.001). Chloroxylenol bath was protective of SSI with a 90% risk reduction for SSI (95% confidence interval of 67%-97%). Conclusion: a preoperative bath with chloroxylenol for pregnant mothers is associated with a significantly lower risk of post cesarean section surgical site infections. Health facilities with a high burden of post SSI should consider adding this simple and effective intervention to the existing infection prevention measures. Clinical Trials.gov registration (NCT03544710).
Abstract licence: CC BY 4.0
Virinchipuram S. Sreevidya, Kade A. Lenz, Kurt R. Svoboda, et al.
Environmental Pollution, 2018
- Anti-Infective Agents
- Benzalkonium Compounds
- Benzethonium
Papageorgiou, Chu
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2000
- Acne Vulgaris
- Anti-Infective Agents, Local
- Benzoyl Peroxide
Jian Lü, Yi Zhou, Yi Zhou, et al.
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022
Yujiao Sun, J. W. Zhao, Bo‐Tao Zhang, et al.
Chemical Engineering Journal, 2019
Raza Aly, Howard I. Malbach
American Journal of Infection Control, 1988
- Hand Disinfection
- Povidone
- Povidone-Iodine
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
1.69 hours
Mechanism
As a phenol antiseptic, it is believed that the hydroxyl -OH groups of the chlor…
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
None mapped
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
1 mg
[A32349]…
Half-life
200 mg
Protein binding
85.2%
Volume of distribution
22.45 L
Metabolism
1-2 hours
Elimination
[L1989]
Clearance
13.76 L/h
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L1992]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 1 of 1 interactions
[L1992]
In the event of accidental eye contact, was with Luke warm water .
[L1992]
Chloroxylenol is known to have a low systemic toxicity, even at dosage levels many times higher that those likely to be absorbed during normal usage of the agent .
[L1999]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[A32349]
After a dose of 5 g, only traces were found, after 8 g, 1 mg % (1 mg/dL) was found in the blood after 3 hours, and 4 mg % (4 mg/dL) after 24 hours .
[A32349]
After a dose of 20 g, 4 mg % (4 mg/dL) was measured after half an hour, and 1 mg % (1 mg/dL) was present at 72 hours .
[A32349]
For antiseptic purposes, chloroxylenol is considered to be well-absorbed when applied to the skin .
[L1999]
[L1989][L1993]
Alternatively, some product monographs liken chloroxylenol to a similar liquid antiseptic, triclosan, whose calculated urinary excretion half-life in man is approximately 10 hours .
[L1992]
[A32344]
[L1989][L1993]
[L1992]
The primary metabolites discovered in the excreted urine were glucuronides and sulfates .
[L1992]
Some chloroxylenol monographs liken its pharmacokinetic profile to that of another antiseptic - triclosan - which is rapidly excreted in the urine also as a glucuronide metabolite, as observed in the human model .
[L1992]
Moreover, In one human subject administered 5 mg intragluteally, 14% was excreted with glucuronic acid and 17% with sulfuric acid at 3 days .
[A32350]
Any chloroxylenol absorbed into the body is likely extensively metabolized by the liver and rapidly excreted, mainly in the urine, as sulphate and glucuronide conjugates .
[L1999]
[L1989]
[L1989][L1993]
Moreover, in another study, when 8 g of chloroxylenol was administered dermal on a human subject in an alcohol/glycerin vehicle, 11% was excreted in 48 hours .
[A32350]
ATC D08AE05
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Chloroxylenol
DrugBank citations
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Structured knowledge from the free knowledge base
ATC classifications (Wikidata)
Linked open data from Wikidata (Q426460), a free and open knowledge base operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Data is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication. WHO INN from the World Health Organization.