Non-toxic antiseptic irrigation with chlorhexidine in experimental revascularization in the rat

The effect of different wound irrigation fluids upon femoral arteries and veins was investigated in the rat, using microsurgical techniques. Toxicity was evaluated by microscopical observation after selective staining of histological slides. Povidone-iodine, 10%, proved to be a very irritant solution, provoking an attack on the vascular endothelium and secondary thrombosis. Chlorhexidine at 0.05%, 0.02% and 0.001% was found by contrast to have a very low toxicity which was comparable to physiological saline. Experimental investigation of antiseptic solutions should not only include the determination of the antibacterial effect, but also the potential for cell toxicity, using an irrigation technique.