Is povidone-iodine is cytotoxic...?If yes, then why to use in dressing?
in humans it's cytotoxic effect is seen only in presence of detergents on wounds.. povidine iodine is absolutely harmless for intact skin
but Dallam et al(2004) reiterate.. it is cytotoxic... and in 2008 also some agency said this.
It is used because it is a bactericidal antiseptic and bacterias rarely develop resistance to it but when used on broken skin it delays healing, that is why honey is used in some places rather than Betadine.
It's harmless for skin, however if you look for its mechanism it says that it coagulates bacterial proteins, but it can do it with human proteins too. That's why ii is harmful on broken skin or healing wounds, becausd it can limit o stop the healing process
