Tolerability and Safety Profile of Povidone Iodine in Pre-Operative kin and Eye Disinfection Prior to Intraocular Surgery

Abstract

Purpose: To audit the safety profile of Povidone Iodine for skin and eye disinfection prior to ocular surgery. Methods: The skin of 132 patients undergoing cataract surgery was prepared with Povidone Iodine 10% (Videne® 10%). This was then diluted 50:50 with normal saline and a few drops were instilled in the conjunctival sacs of the eyes to be operated on. The patients were asked to report any discomfort while disinfecting the skin and the conjunctiva and the sensation was graded from 0 (no discomfort) to 5 (most severe discomfort). The corneal clarity was then assessed throughout surgery. Corneal haziness was graded from 0 (none) to 5 (very marked). The comparison standard used was the results of a survey reported by Trinavarat et al. “Reduction of Endophthalmitis Rate after Cataract Surgery with Preoperative 5% Povidone-Iodine. Dermatology 2006; 212 (suppl 1): 35-40” Results: 116 patients (87.9%) reported no discomfort with application of Povidone Iodine 10% to skin and no discomfort with application of Povidone Iodine 5% to the eye. There was no corneal haziness resulting from the application of Povidone Iodine. Thirteen patients (10%) experienced very mild (+1) and brief conjunctival discomfort. Two patients (1.5%) experienced a very mild (+1) skin irritation. One patient (0.75%) experienced a very mild conjunctival (+1) and a very mild (+1) skin irritation. Five patients (3.7%) had preoperative superficial punctuate keratitis due to poor tear film which had resulted in very mild corneal haziness. This did not change with the application of Povidone Iodine. There were no pre-operative, per-operative or post-operative complications. Conclusions: Povidone Iodine (Videne®) is safe for preoperative disinfection in ocular surgery.