PRODUCT CATEGORIES
For the purpose of testing, compendial articles have been divided into four categories (see Table 1). The criteria of antimicrobial effectiveness for these products are a function of the route of administration.
Table 1. Compendial Product Categories Category Product Description
1 Injections, other parenterals including emulsions, otic products, sterile nasal products, and ophthalmic products made with aqueous bases or vehicles.
2 Topically used products made with aqueous bases or vehicles, nonsterile nasal products,
and emulsions, including those applied to mucous membranes.
3 Oral products other than antacids, made with aqueous bases or vehicles.
4 Antacids made with an aqueous base.
TEST ORGANISMS
Use cultures of the following microorganisms1: Candida albicans (ATCC No. 10231), Aspergillus niger (ATCC No. 16404), Escherichia coli (ATCC No. 8739), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC No. 9027), and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC No. 6538). The viable microorganisms used in the test must not be more than five passages removed from the original ATCC culture. For purposes of the test, one passage is defined as the transfer of organisms from an established culture to fresh medium. All transfers are counted. In the case of organisms maintained by seed-lot techniques, each cycle of freezing, thawing, and revival in fresh medium is taken as one transfer. A seed-stock technique should be used for long-term storage of cultures. Cultures received from the ATCC should be resuscitated according to directions. If grown in broth, the cells are pelleted by centrifugation. Resuspend in 1/20th the volume of fresh maintenance broth, and add an equal volume of 20% (v/v in water) sterile glycerol. Cells grown on agar may be scraped from the surface into the 10% glycerol broth. Dispense small aliquots of the suspension into sterile vials. Store the vials in liquid nitrogen or in a mechanical freezer at no more than 50. When a fresh seed-stock vial is required, it may be removed and used to inoculate a series of working cultures. These working cultures may then be used periodically (each day in the case of bacteria and yeast) to start the inoculum culture.