What to do in this interaction?
March 8, 2015 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. David Meyer
Dear Sir or Madam,
I have a question regarding interactions. I cut myself, presumably on a piece of glass, while walking barefoot and cleaned the wound with Octenisept. The next day, I went to see a doctor who cleaned the wound again with Octenisept and applied a dressing with Betadine cream. I was also given this cream to use at home. Upon reading the package insert, I learned that these two products should not be used together. As a result, I only applied the cream. Today, about 3 days later, the skin around and on the wound is discolored a dark violet to brown, appearing to extend into the deeper layers of skin.
Should I be concerned about this? It does not look healthy. When will this discoloration disappear? Will it affect the healing process?
Thank you for your prompt response.
Dear questioner,
Indeed, the application of Betaisodona leads to a deterioration or neutralization of Octenidine's effectiveness, through oxidation of the active substance. But only if Betaisodona is applied directly after Octenidine. Therefore, one should not use both substances simultaneously. In your case, there should have been a few minutes between the two applications. Rapid cleaning of the wound at the beginning of a cut is important. You can temporarily do without the neutralized protective film with Octenidine. If you continue to use Betaisodona at home, it can be assumed that the wound will remain free of germs and thus can heal. The strong discoloration is caused by the iodine-containing active ingredient and unfortunately cannot be avoided. This is not an indication of improper use.
Make sure to keep the wound clean. By the way, the myth that a wound needs to "breathe" in order to heal is not true. The important thing is to keep dirt out. You can eventually do away with the cream and just change the bandages regularly.
If the wound starts to turn red, itch, or pus, be sure to see a doctor.
Best regards,
Dr. Meyer
