Can iodine be used to directly rub wounds?

Povidone-iodine is a very common medicine. In people’s home medicine cabinets, povidone-iodine is a must-have medicine used to treat wounds, disinfect wounds and prevent wound inflammation. Of course, iodine tincture is not suitable for all wounds, and it needs to be used according to certain methods during use. Below, I will give you a comprehensive introduction to the relevant knowledge of iodine tincture.

Povidone-iodine is currently the most commonly used disinfectant solution for external use. It has a certain broad-spectrum bactericidal effect. If the wound is well closed, there is no problem in using povidone-iodine for disinfection. However, if povidone-iodine is used to disinfect an open wound, it will be more irritating, which is not conducive to wound healing and is likely to leave scars.

2. Feature Application

Iodine is very effective in disinfecting common injuries such as burns, frostbite, knife wounds, abrasions, and bruises. Compared with alcohol, iodine causes less irritation and pain, is easily accepted by patients, has a wide range of uses and definite effects, and has basically replaced skin and mucous membrane disinfectants such as alcohol, mercurochrome, iodine, and gentian violet. In addition, low-concentration iodine tincture is a light brown solution that is not easy to stain clothing.

Although iodine tincture has been widely used in hospitals, non-medical staff's understanding of iodine tincture is not as good as that of traditional disinfectants such as mercurochrome, iodine tincture, and gentian violet.

The common concentration of medical iodine tincture is 1%, which can be directly applied for skin disinfection.

Diluted twice, it can be used as a mouthwash for stomatitis;

2% iodine is used to disinfect hands and other parts of the skin during surgery;

0.5% iodine tincture is used for flushing treatment of vaginitis.

4. Safe Use

Iodine is an external medication and is not for oral administration.

Iodine tincture dilute solution is low in toxicity and non-corrosive. However, dilute solutions are unstable and need to be prepared before use. Avoid contact with silver, aluminum and divalent alloys because they are corrosive to metals. It is forbidden to use it with antagonistic drugs such as mercurochrome. The iodine stock solution should be stored at room temperature away from light.

It has obvious irritation to mucous membranes during normal use. A few people have allergic reactions.

Misuse reactions: Oral overdose may cause corrosive gastroenteritis-like symptoms, including vomiting, hematemesis, heartburn, bloody stools, etc. In severe cases, shock may occur.

High concentrations of iodine tincture contacting skin and eyes can cause burns, ulcers, etc.