Antiseptics in otorhinolaryngology-a substance overview

For preoperative skin antisepsis, alcohol-containing iodine solutions and octenidine are suitable. For wound antisepsis, polyhexanide and hypochlorous acid (HOCL) are also available, but only PVP-iodine and HOCL can be applied to cartilage. Chlorhexidine should only be used as mouth- and bodywash for Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) decolonization. For the many other throat antiseptics, evidence of clinical efficacy is lacking. For decolonization of the nares, polyhexanide and octenidine are available as nasal gels, but these are inferior to mupirocin for MRSA decolonization. PVP-iodine and HOCL are safe to use for nasal irrigation, but only HOCL has proven effective to improve symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis. All antiseptics exhibit a certain ototoxicity. With an intact eardrum, acetic acid-containing eardrops can be used to prevent and treat external otitis and myringitis. When the eardrum is perforated, only alcohol-free PVP-iodine and HOCL may be used.