Background: Wound healing is a complex proces, which is influenced by multiple factors. Bacterial contamination and infection are frequent and severe complications. The treatment of such infected wounds is a major challenge to the plastic surgeon. The topical application of wound antiseptics is widely used as a therapeutic approach in the treatment of these wounds. This review provides an overview about their clinical application, their cytotoxic and antibacterial properties as well as interactions with commonly used wound dressings.
Material and methods: This article reviews current literature dealing with local antiseptics, antibacterial activity, cytotoxicity and compatibility with wound dressings.
Results: Topical antiseptics are used on a daily basis in order to reduce bacterial wound contamination. However, few data exist concerning their antimicrobial activity, especially in relation to their cytotoxicity. Furthermore, their compatibility with wound dressings is barely investigated. Recent studies show significant toxic effects on cells and an incompatibility with certain wound dressings for some of these antiseptics.
Discussion: Antiseptics are broadly used in healthcare to reduce, inactivate or eliminate bacterial pathogens. Recent studies show that many daily used antiseptics possess relevant cytotoxic properties as well as cross reactions with wound dressings. Additional studies are therefore needed to further investigate and characterize the properties of wound antiseptics in order to identify the optimal therapeutic agents for the treatment of infected wounds.
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