YODOPOVIDONE - IQB®.

In 1839, during the American Civil War, a French surgeon employed iodine for the first time as antiseptic, in the form of tincture of iodine to treat combat wounds. In spite of their great efficacy, the tinctures of iodine can produce adverse effects such as rash, allergies, etc. But, nowadays, even when many antiseptics are available, iodine still is one of the more valuable, if the most valuable of all, for such purpose. It has survived to these days of new products due to the fact that it has almost all the required conditions to be an "ideal antiseptic."

• • Great efficacy
• • Wide spectrum
• • Rapid action
• • Economic
• • Low local toxicity
• • Good tissue penetration

Over the years, and the obtaining of the “IODOPHORES” has improved some of the conditions that were not so favorable for its use in the beginning and which were mostly responsible for the adverse effects, such as irritating odor, low solubility and little stability. The “IODOPHORES” are compounds of iodine and an organic molecule (and/or inorganic) acting as transport and reservoir for iodine and allowing its release to the environment in a gradual and sustained way. At the beginning of the 1950s, it was reported for the first time the existence of the PVP-IODINE compound (or IODOPOVIDONE), whose more probable structure is indicated below. This compound could revert the unfavorable conditions of iodine: it is almost odorless, very stable, very soluble; if applied in a water solution on skin forms an adhesive dry film that releases iodine in a very gradual and sustained way, generating an excellent aseptic space that favors the natural regeneration of the infected or injured tissues, prevents or minimizes the sensitivity (and/or irritation) of the tissues and the allergic reactions to iodine and/or iodide; moreover, the antimicrobial activity last more. In water solution, antimicrobial action is stronger at higher dilutions, given the generation of a higher concentration of “available” iodine :

However, for the topic application it should be prioritized the capacity to form a surface "dry" film, reason why solutions of high concentration (10%) are used.