A review of advancements in antiseptics for wound care in diabetic and non-diabetic patients
- PMID: 40224527
- PMCID: PMC11985748
- DOI: 10.1007/s40200-025-01607-7
A review of advancements in antiseptics for wound care in diabetic and non-diabetic patients
Abstract
Wounds affect many people and require a considerable annual cost to manage. Wound infections significantly delay the healing process, particularly in individuals with diabetes mellitus, due to impaired immunity and microvascular complications. The use of antiseptics is considered a way to reduce this problem. The study aims to assess the different antiseptic categories frequently employed in wound management, focusing on identifying and understanding their unique features. A comprehensive review of PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE databases identified key antiseptics, including isopropyl alcohol, chlorhexidine, polyhexanide, octenidine, povidone-iodine, hypochlorous acid, silver-based products, hydrogen peroxide, triclosan, and benzalkonium chloride. These antiseptics exhibit varying efficacies and cytotoxicity profiles, necessitating tailored usage to optimize healing while preventing antimicrobial resistance. The primary indication for antiseptics is the prevention of Surgical Site Infections (SSIs), as recommended by guidelines. For diabetic foot ulcers, the strongest evidence supports the use of hypochlorous acid. There are no universal recommendations for antiseptic use; their application depends on specific circumstances. This review highlights the need for evidence-based, condition-specific antiseptic strategies to address unique patient needs effectively.
Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-025-01607-7.
Keywords: Antiseptic; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetic foot ulcers; Wound; Wound cleansing; Wound irrigation; Wound management.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2025. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflict of interestThe authors declared that they have no conflict of interest.
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