Povidone Iodine: Properties, Mechanisms of Action and Role in Infection Control and Staphylococcus aureus Decolonization.

This article discusses povidone iodine (PVP-I) as an alternative decolonization agent and is based on literature reviewed during an Expert's workshop on resistance and MRSA decolonization. When compared to chlorhexidine and mupirocin, respectively, PVP-I 10% and 7.5% solution had rapid and superior bactericidal activity against MRSA in in vitro and ex vivo studies. Notably, PVP-I 10% and 5% solutions were also active against both chlorhexidine-resistant and mupirocin-resistant strains, respectively. Unlike chlorhexidine and mupirocin, available reports have not observed a link between PVP-I and the induction of bacterial resistance or cross-resistance to antiseptics and antibiotics. These pre-clinical findings also translate into clinical decolonization, where intranasal PVP-I significantly improved the efficacy of chlorhexidine wash and was as effective as mupirocin in reducing surgical site infection (SSI) in orthopedic surgery. Overall, these qualities of PVP-I make it a useful alternative decolonizing agent for the prevention of S. aureus infections, but additional experimental and clinical data are required to further evaluate the use of PVP-I in this setting. PMID: 32571829 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy - Category: Microbiology Authors: Tags: Antimicrob Agents Chemother Source Type: research