Povidone Iodine 4% or 7.5% Scrub Solution: Use and Precautions

Surgical handscrubbing

There are different protocols, for information:

• Wet hands and forearms; apply 5 ml of solution on hands and forearms and rub for 1 or 2 minutes (i.e. 30 seconds or 1 minute for each side); scrub the nails of each hand for 30 seconds; rinse.
• Apply 5 ml of solution again on hands and forearms and rub for 2 minutes; rinse thoroughly; dry with a sterile towel.

Patient preoperative showering

As close as possible to the time of surgery:

• Wet the whole body including hair; apply the solution and rub until the foam is white. Start at the head and move down, finishing with the feet.
• Leave in contact a few minutes and rinse; dry with a clean towel; put on clean clothes.

Antiseptic cleansing of the surgical site

Swab for 1 or 2 minutes the surgical site, using sterile gauze soaked with sterile water and solution; rinse with sterile water; dry with sterile gauze.

Antiseptic cleansing of wounds

Prepare a diluted solution:

• With 4% solution: 1 part of PVI solution plus 2 parts of sterile water or sterile 0.9% NaCl.
• With 7.5% solution: 1 part of PVI solution plus 4 parts of sterile water or sterile 0.9% NaCl.
• Clean the wound then rinse thoroughly with sterile water or sterile 0.9% NaCl.