Iodine is an element that is useful in preventing and treating infections. Because iodine has a risk of toxicity and may damage healthy cells, the element is usually used in combination with povidone, a water-soluble polymer. Povidone-iodine is...
If you’re recovering from a wound or surgical incision, you have enough on your mind without worrying about whether your wound covering is making things worse. Gauze pads are a common and effective way to protect wounds and incisions, but...
The brown-yellow liquid that immediately comes to mind at the thought of "iodine" is not pure iodine but a mixture of povidone and iodine. Iodine is an element with its own box on the periodic table. Pure iodine is not found in nature; in its...
Bacterial vaginosis is an infection caused by an unhealthy ratio of good to bad bacteria in the vaginal flora. Symptoms vary with bacterial vaginosis, but some of the indications may include white or gray discharge, odor, cramps and itching and...
Betadine Surgical Scrub is a microbicidal cleanser that has been used in hospitals for more than 40 years. It kills most bacteria, protozoa, yeasts, fungi and viruses, and is used to disinfect a patient's skin prior to surgery. The active...
Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a strain of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus that is resistant to common antibiotics such as methicillin and oxacillin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 2.3...
You've cut your hand or your child has scraped her knee. These are acute wounds. Whenever possible, they should be cleaned and treated immediately with an antiseptic to prevent infection. The textbook Pharmacology for Nursing Care includes...
Fungus of the scalp, or tinea capitis, is caused by the mold-like fungi dermatophytes, according to MedlinePlus. It usually only affects children and quickly disappears at puberty. It can, however, occur at any age and affect anyone. Ringworm, the...
Betadine products are used in hospitals and health care facilities to prevent the spread of bacteria, viruses and other potentially harmful microbes. Available in various preparations for use in surgical preparation, the products contain 5 percent...
Vaginitis is a term used to describe several bacterial imbalances in the vagina, whose symptoms include itching, burning, swelling, discharge and possibly odor. The appropriate course of treatment for vaginitis depends of the type of infection you...
Whether you want to maintain healthy teeth, fingernails, hair, thyroid function or overall metabolism, it is important to maintain a good level of iodine or iodide in your body. Iodine is a mineral element which takes the name iodide when combined...
Alli, or generic Xenical, is a supplement that enhances weight loss when combined with healthy eating. Manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, Alli is FDA approved and available without a prescription. The main ingredient in Alli is orlistat, a...
Betadine has been widely used in both hospitals and homes for over 40 years to fight skin infections. The most common application is a 10 percent solution of povidone-iodine which, in addition to killing most bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa,...
Potassium iodide or KI provides wide-ranging benefits and can help correct specific types of medical conditions. When the body is lacking in iodine, different medical issues can result, such as Hashimoto's disease or thyroid disease. Aside from...
Blisters form when friction, force or other factors separate the top layer of skin from the inner layers and the resulting space fills with clear fluid or blood, according to Sports Injury Clinic. Wart treatments, medication injections, brown...
When there is a break, laceration or incision in the skin, a large number of bacteria--especially the bacteria that normally colonize the skin--can enter the body and cause infection. These bacteria attach to tissue and stop the wound from...
Iodine is an essential mineral. Your body cannot make it, so you need to consume it in small amounts to prevent deficiency symptoms. Iodine in involved in immune system function, but is better known for its role in thyroid function. Without...
Bacterial vaginosis is a condition in women wherein the number of normal bacteria in the vagina is altered, disrupted and replaced with an overgrowth of another type of bacteria, as described in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....
Broken or cut skin damages the protective covering of the body and produces a wound. A healthy wound environment determines whether healing will proceed in an organized and timely fashion. An individual's physical and mental status, in addition to...
Hand sanitizers have become part of modern life. Dispensers now line the walls of schools and public buildings. Small bottles of gel fill car consoles and purses. But do hand sanitizers work as effectively as soap and water? Which hand sanitizers...
Radiation and chemotherapy can take a toll on your body. One of the most uncomfortable side effects to deal with are mouth sores. There are treatments and medications that can make this side effect easier to handle. Talk to your doctor before...
You just sneezed carefully into your crooked elbow so as not to spread germs. But you did not wash your hands because you were not near a sink with soap and water. Next, you picked up a telephone and called a colleague. You may have just...
Liquid iodine is an amazingly useful substance, finding applications around the home, in the research laboratory and at modern hospitals. Pure iodine is a bluish-black crystal, although it is rarely found in this form. Iodine is very soluble in...
