Introduction – What is Betaisodona® Oral Antiseptic?
Betaisodona® Oral Antiseptic is a drug for the prevention and treatment of infections in the mouth. In contrast to an antibiotic, which is able to specifically combat disease-causing bacteria and possibly fungi throughout the body, the antiseptic only acts locally in the area of application and can effectively combat pathogenic germs there. It is therefore used primarily in the context of surgical operations and for wound care.
Betaisodona® oral antiseptic uses the active ingredient povidone-iodine, which has a germicidal effect similar to the well-known iodine tincture (iodine solution in alcohol). Compared to iodine tincture, the use of povidone-iodine has a significantly lower risk of allergic reactions and burning pain when used and is more effective. Therefore, iodine solution is hardly used nowadays.
Indications for Betaisodona® Mouthwash
During (dental) interventions in the oral cavity, there is a risk, particularly in the case of poor dental hygiene, that bacteria will enter the bloodstream and lead to bacterial poisoning (bacteremia). The dreaded consequences are blood poisoning (sepsis) with a high mortality rate and endocarditis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart), from which about half of those affected also die. Betaisodona® oral antiseptic, for example, is therefore used for prevention.
A further indication for use is the treatment of infections in the mouth area, as occurs mainly in patients with a weakened immune system (e.g. blood cancer, organ transplants, patients with AIDS, etc.). In this case, the effect against pathogenic fungi is used above all. Betaisodona® oral antiseptic can also be used to prevent infection of the damaged mucosa in the case of inflammation of the oral cavity during local radiation therapy – in the case of malignant tumor diseases.
Active substance, effect
The active ingredient of Betaisodona® oral antiseptic is povidone-iodine, which consists of about 10% iodine. It acts via a slow release of iodine, which has an oxidizing and thus cell-damaging effect on bacteria, fungi, spores and protozoa. The iodine also causes the brown colouring of the active ingredient, which indicates its effectiveness. If stored for too long, decoloration occurs and the antiseptic can no longer work properly. You can find more on this topic under: Betaisodona
Side effect
Overall, side effects rarely occur when using Betaisodona® oral antiseptic. In less than 1 in 1000 patients treated, hypersensitivity reactions of the skin occur, which can manifest themselves in a delayed manner as burning, redness, itching or blisters. As a very rare side effect (less than 1 in 10,000 people treated), there is an acute general allergic reaction with generally occurring swelling of the skin and mucous membranes, low blood pressure and shortness of breath.
All iodine-containing drugs can generally trigger thyroid gland disorders. This is particularly common in existing thyroid diseases, e.g. thyroid diseases with hyperthyroidism or in longstanding goiter caused by iodine deficiency, as the thyroid gland has become accustomed to very low iodine levels. Therefore, in the case of known thyroid diseases, the application should be weighed up critically.
However, Betaisodona® oral antiseptic is only absorbed by the circulation to a very small extent, so the risk of side effects on the thyroid gland is low. These manifest themselves, for example, through sweating, sensation of warmth, restlessness, trembling, irritability and agitation and rapid heartbeat. However, these side effects are also very rare.
