Uncovering the Benefits of Povidone Iodine Compared to Other Therapeutic Agents in Wound Infection Prevention and Healing Outcomes: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background The selection of an appropriate chemical solution in wound care reduces the severity of wounds and accelerates the healing process. Povidone-iodine (PV-I), a chemical solution popularly known as an antiseptic, is frequently used in studies of wound care to prevent wound infection and accelerate woud the process of wound healing. Objective To identify the latest evidence on the benefits of PV-I in wound infection prevention and healing in all areas. Methods This review is a scoping review by Arskey and O’Malley and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) is used for reporting. The literature search used databases including PubMed, CINAHL, and search engines such as Scopus. This study was conducted using thematic analysis. Results This review yielded 19 out of 2109 studies that were identified in the initial search. Four outcomes comprised 20 sub-outcomes have been identified. Although strong evidence is lacking, PV-I in the form of foam is effective in improving wound healing, shortening healing time, and producing fewer adverse events than hydrocelluers. Moreover, saline and PV-I are effective as skin disinfectants when compared to saline alone in reducing surgical site infection (SSI), and they are also more effective than hypochlorous acid in improving wound healing. Nevertheless, there was no difference between PV-I and hypochlorous acid in the prevention of SSI and bacterial growth. In terms of healing time, silver foam and hyaluronic acid were more favorable than PV-I. Moreover, the use of chlorhexidine to improve SSI and silver dressing to improve hospital stay is more favorable than that of PV-I. Conclusion There is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of wound care outcomes, and the efficacy of PV-I as a surface disinfectant for wound infection prevention remains controversial. Consequently, PV-I is not highly recommended for wound care, and further investigation into the effectiveness of PV-I as a surface disinfectant is required for various types of surgeries.