Effect of Presurgical Iodine-Based Disinfection on Bacterial Colonization of the Equine Peripodal Region.
Authors: Johnson Jessica, Messier Serge, Meulyzer Michael, Vinardell Tatiana, Marcoux Marcel, David Florent
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Editorial Summary Effective presurgical disinfection of the peripodal region is critical for preventing surgical site infections, yet optimal protocols for equine hooves remain poorly defined. Researchers compared two iodine-based disinfectants on ten equine forefeet using a paired design, swabbing fixed locations on the sole, frog, hoof wall and peripodal skin at four timepoints: baseline, after standard preparation, after four minutes of 0.5% iodine application, and after 12-hour soaking in 0.25% iodine solution. Both iodine tincture and povidone iodine achieved significant bacterial reduction with the four-minute protocol; however, the 12-hour soak proved counterproductive, with povidone iodine showing bacterial recolonisation and both solutions causing visible skin damage across nearly all treated feet. For practitioners preparing horses for distal limb or hoof surgery, a brief four-minute contact time with either 0.5% iodine tincture or povidone iodine offers effective antimicrobial action without the iatrogenic consequences of prolonged soaking—a finding that challenges previous assumptions about longer disinfection times delivering superior results whilst protecting the compromised skin barrier of the peripodal region.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Use a 4-minute disinfection protocol with either 0.5% iodine tincture or povidone iodine for presurgical peripodal preparation—this effectively reduces bacteria without tissue damage
- •Avoid prolonged 12-hour soaking protocols as they damage skin and allow bacterial recolonization, increasing infection risk rather than reducing it
- •Target the frog and sole with extra attention during disinfection as these are the most heavily colonized sites
Key Findings
- •Frog and sole were most contaminated sites at baseline compared to hoof wall and skin
- •Both iodine tincture and povidone iodine significantly reduced bacterial counts after 4-minute application at 0.5% concentration
- •12-hour soaking with povidone iodine resulted in bacterial recolonization and increased counts compared to 4-minute protocol
- •Skin abrasions occurred with both solutions but were more severe with iodine tincture during 12-hour soaking