Chemical disinfectants are used extensively in hospitals and other health care settings for a variety of hard-surface applications. The widespread use of chemical disinfectants has prompted some speculation that there may be a link between disinfectant resistance and antibiotic resistance. This type of link could have significant implications regarding nosocomial infections. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether such a link exists in bacterial strains that have been responsible for hospital outbreaks. We acquired several different bacterial species that were resistant to multiple antibiotics and had caused severe nosocomial outbreaks. These were compared to counterparts of the same species that were antibiotic susceptible strains. The comparison was performed using surface carrier as well as suspension testing. Because patient secretions may protect survival of organisms in the hospital setting, we incorporated an organic challenge in our test model. Our data for surface carrier and suspension tests indicated that even in the presence of an organic challenge, the multiple antibiotic resistant pathogens were not any more resistant to disinfectant killing compared to susceptible strains of the same species. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)