POVIDONE-IODINE PRODUCTS

The more technical term for Povidone is Polyvinylpyrrolidone for which PVP stands.  Iodine is not water soluble, however, if complexed with a water-soluble compounds it becomes an iodophor.  The hyphen in the term PVP-I or Povidone-Iodine or Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Iodine represents not a chemical bond but a weaker force that binds the two separate chemicals together. Iodine (I2) when combined, in a 9 to 1 mass ratio, with Povidone polymer provides a sustained release of Iodine. Therefore, it is noteworthy that Povidone-Iodine 10% m/v contains available Iodine 1% m/v

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Iodine’s mechanism of action is to rapidly penetrate microorganism and oxidize key proteins, nucleotides and fatty acids, eventually leading to their death. 
Iodine is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial.