Chlorhexidine Gluconate and Povidone Iodine both are widely used in antibacteria field in hospital, but there are some different characters for each of them.

The article is to compare the two different ones: Chlorhexidine Gluconate and Povidone Iodone:

Chlorhexidine charaters:

• Positive charged, and it binds to the negatively charged bacterial cell membrane
• Disruption of the cell wall and precipitation of cell proteins cause the cell membrane to rupture
• Good residual activity because it binds to keratin in the patient’s skin
• Bacteriostatic at low concentrations, and bactericidal at high concentrations (100% within 30 seconds)
• Broad-spectrum (more effective against Gram positive than Gram negative, fungi, viruses)
• Not inactivated by organic material
• Less irritating han iodophors, with fewer hypersensitivity reactions compared to iodophors
• Toxic to the tympanic membrane and the cornea

Povidone Iodine character:

• Penetrate the bacterial wall and replace intracellular molecules with free iodine.
• A 1% concentration is usually recommended. A higher concentration may cause tissure necrosis, so more is not better here.
• Broad-spectrum (Gram positive, Gram negative, fungi, viruses, some spores) with a minimum of 2 minutes of skin contact.
• Inactivation by organic material such as blood, pus and necrotic tissue.
• Staining of skin and cloth.
• Hypersensitivity reactions in up to half of patients!
• Systemic absorption of iodine through mucous membranes and open wounds, to the point of causing transient malfunction.