Which antiseptic is extremely flammable and volatile?

• A. Iodophors
• B. Alcohols
• C. Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)
• D. Hexachlorophene

Answer: (B)

Alcohol-based antiseptics are extremely flammable and volatile because they contain alcohols with low flash points that evaporate rapidly, producing vapors that can ignite if exposed to an ignition source. In the operating room, this means they dry quickly and can spread vapors toward cautery, flames, or sparks. That rapid drying is a double-edged sword: it provides fast antimicrobial action and minimal residue, but requires caution to keep the area free from ignition sources until completely dry. The other antiseptics in the list rely on non-volatile mechanisms or compounds and do not produce such flammable vapors to the same extent, so they pose less flammability risk in the skin prep context.