POVIDONE-IODINE IN PERITONITIS .1. ADVERSE-EFFECTS OF LOCAL INSTILLATION IN EXPERIMENTAL ESCHERICHIA-COLI PERITONITIS

Lethal quantities of undiluted povidone-iodine solution ip appear to cause mortality by inducing a chemical peritonitis with resulting hypovolemic shock. Sublethal doses of polyvinyl-pyrrolidone-iodine (PVP-I) given synchronously with Escherichia coli increased the mortality of E. coli or E. coli-hemoglobin peritonitis. Pretreatment of the peritoneal cavity with dilute PVP-I reduced the mortality of E. coli peritonitis, but this appears to be a nonspecific effect, since PVP-I in sublethal quantities is rapidly neutralized within the peritoneal cavity. Our single attempt at operative lavage with dilute PVP-I increased the mortality of E. coli peritonitis induced 1 hr earlier. © 1979.