Dispensary Corner

͞BIZARRE household accident” has led to the supreme irony of an Icelandic politician having to wear an eye patch during a TV interview. Eva Pandora Baldursdottir

(pictured) said her one-year-old daughter had “scratched my eye, which means I have to wear an eyepatch over the weekend”.

The irony comes because Baldurdottir is a member of the Pirate Party, which holds 10 seats in the country’s parliament.

SO IF I have a stomach bug upsetting me, should I attempt to kill the organisms with a disinfectant - e.g. alcohol͍

In a The Conversation article, Western Sydney University lecturer and clinical academic gastroenterologist Vincent Ho gives clear guidance. The short answer is basically no. Against gut bacteria such as salmonella and E.coli, research has shown beer was ineffectual, while wines had some effect but were all too weak to achieve the desired result.

For alcohol hand rubs a high alcohol concentration in the range of 60-80% is considered optimal for antimicrobial activity.

Concentrations lower than 40% were found to be significantly weaker in affecting bacterial growth and alcohol with a 10% concentration (that of most white wines) had little effect.

Spirits, with 40% alcohol, worked better, but damaged the gut at the same time.