What to use to disinfect wounds

Life is not always smooth sailing, and it is normal to encounter bumps and bruises. Many people often find that their arms, knees and other parts of their bodies are scratched or injured. In order to prevent the wound from getting infected, they must take good care of it to prevent infection and suppuration, or even tetanus. At this time, some common disinfectants will be useful, such as iodine tincture, hydrogen peroxide, safflower oil, etc. So what is the best way to disinfect external injuries?

The difference between iodine, iodine and alcohol

1. Iodine tincture is highly irritating and should be avoided in large doses and over large areas on abrasions or wounds, otherwise it will cause unbearable severe pain. At the same time, iodine tincture is not suitable to be mixed with mercurochrome at the same time. Not only will it lose its bactericidal effect, but it will also corrode the skin and cause ulcers.

2. Alcohol, which we are familiar with, can destroy cells and is highly irritating, so it cannot be used to disinfect wounds, ulcers, and mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. Alcohol is also not suitable for deeper wounds because it is difficult to reach the deep end of the wound and there is a risk of tetanus infection.

3. Povidone-iodine is less irritating than alcohol and iodine tincture and causes less pain, so it is more recommended. Just try to minimize the number of times you apply the ointment to the wound.

Disinfection uses of different disinfectants

Iodine tincture is mainly used for disinfection of skin and mucous membranes in most cases.

Medical iodine tincture has a lower concentration and is less irritating, so it can be used directly to disinfect the skin and mucous membranes in most cases.

Iodine is mainly used for minor contusions, abrasions and other general injuries.

Iodine can be used to disinfect minor contusions, abrasions and other general injuries. Compared with iodine tincture and iodine tincture, iodine is more irritating and will cause more obvious burning pain to the wound.

Alcohol is mainly used to disinfect small wounds

Alcohol can be used to disinfect minor wounds. Alcohol is highly irritating and is not suitable for disinfecting damaged mucosal areas. Otherwise, it may aggravate mucosal damage and delay healing.

Hydrogen peroxide is mainly used to clean deeper wounds.

Hydrogen peroxide with a concentration equal to or lower than 3% can be used to clean deeper wounds. Deep wounds that are severely contaminated are generally rinsed with hydrogen peroxide first, then with saline, and finally disinfected with alcohol. Hydrogen peroxide should not come into contact with the eyes and broken skin of the external auditory canal, otherwise it may affect vision and hearing.

Safflower oil is mainly used for soft tissue contusions that occur during sports

Safflower oil has analgesic, anti-edema and anti-inflammatory effects and is often used to treat soft tissue contusions that occur during sports. However, safflower oil should not be used on broken or bleeding wounds, nor should it come into contact with mucous membranes such as the eyes and mouth. It is not recommended to use safflower oil if there is local swelling after a sprain, as it may aggravate the condition.

Different disinfectants should be selected for wounds in different situations. If the wound is deep or caused by something rusty, in addition to simple treatment, you should also use hydrogen peroxide to clean it and go to the hospital for treatment in time.

In addition to the above disinfection products, many irritating disinfection products have appeared on the market in recent years. For example, the wound disinfectant spray does not contain alcohol, fragrances and pigments. It is very mild and non-irritating to the human body, and is 99.99% effective in killing bacteria (against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans). It is suitable not only for adults but also for babies. Moreover, the small bottle is easy to carry, and the nozzle design makes it safer for you to use.

Therefore, you can prepare a spray-type wound disinfectant at home so that you can easily deal with external skin injuries.