Hydrogen Peroxide and Povidone-Iodine Solution—A Dangerous Combination

A member hospital reported a case in which 3% hydrogen peroxide and 10% povidone-iodine solution became mixed in a suction canister during a wound debridement procedure. At the end of the procedure, after suction had been turned off, the top of the suction canister “exploded,” as one person at the facility described it. The lid penetrated a ceiling tile, and the room was showered with the liquid contents of the suction canister. No injuries were reported.

Both hydrogen peroxide and povidone-iodine are used by some clinicians as part of debridement protocols or to irrigate infected wounds. * However, producers of povidone-iodine typically indicate, in the material safety data sheets...