The ocular application of povidone-iodine.

The use of antiseptic agents to prevent blindness was not a self-evident development. It evolved over a number of years to the point that one antiseptic agent — povidone-iodine — is now used throughout the world, every day, to prevent blindness. The possible effect of iodine on the eye was first appreciated in 1951 when a reduction in ocular flora was reported following the application of iodine solution to the skin. Iodophors were reported to reduce skin flora around the eye in 1970, and only later was the specific combination of povidone and iodine utilised for direct ophthalmic use.