EVALUATION OF POVIDONE-IODINE ALCOHOLIC SOLUTION FOR OPERATIVE SITE DISINFECTION

A clinical investigation of povidone-iodine alcoholic solution on disi nfectant efficacy at the operative site was carried out in comparison with poloxamer-iodine alcoholic solution and povidone-iodine aqueous s olution. Bacterial samples obtained by the cylinder scrub method from 10 cm2 of abdominal skin pre- and post-disinfection were filtered usin g a millipore membrane and cultured aerobically at 37-degrees-C for 48 hours. The antimicrobial efficacy of each product was expressed as th e logarithmic reduction value (reduction factor) in resident bacterial counts. Significantly higher reduction factors (RF) of the total resi dent bacteria were obtained with povidone-iodine ethanol solution (RF 2.02) than with povidone-iodine aqueous solution (RF 1.17). No adverse reaction was observed with either preparation during the study period . It is concluded that povidone-iodine ethanol solution is a reasonabl e and effective antibacterial agent for pre-operative skin preparation .