Medical Term:
benzalkonium chloride
Pronunciation: ben′zal-kō′nē-ŭm klōr′īd
Definition: A mixture of alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chlorides in which the alkyls are long-chain compounds (C8 to C18); a surface-active germicide for many pathogenic nonsporulating bacteria and fungi. Aqueous solutions of this agent have a low surface tension, and possess detergent, keratolytic, and emulsifying properties that aid penetration and wetting of tissue surfaces.
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Examples: glitazone, GI cocktail, etc.
