Povidone iodine: features of critical systemic absorption

Abstract

Povidone iodine (PI), a skin antiseptic, is sometimes used internally but this procedure exposes to potentially lethal iodine absorption. Indeed, a 41-year-old woman, with no relevant medical history, developed a transient hypotension, anuric renal failure, hemolysis, coagulopathy and uterine infarction after intra-uterine injection of PI as a dye to check the fallopian tube patency (hydrotubation). Iodemia peaked at 6929 μg/dL (normal range 3.4-8.0 μg/dL), and decreased over the 9 days of renal replacement therapy. Extreme caution should be exercised when PI is in contact with a mucosa, the early recognition of iodine toxicity being of utmost importance to rapidly prompt renal replacement therapy. The main purpose of this report is to highlight the clinical features of PI absorption, whatever the route of administration.