[Antiseptics to prevent or treat wound infections; myths and evidence]

Antiseptics are commonly applied to prevent or treat wound infections. Many common opinions about antiseptics appear not to be supported by convincing evidence. The aim of this review is to compare such traditional beliefs with currently available evidence. While antiseptics obviously reduce the number of pathogens, their value as a supplement to or as replacement of wound cleansing remains unclear.Some antiseptics encourage wound healing, others may even delay it. Many of the adverse effects ascribed to antiseptics are not supported by evidence; nevertheless this has resulted in a reduction of their use.If used as part of a multifaceted approach to wound care, antiseptics are to be preferred over locally applied antibiotics as they are safer, have a broader spectrum of activity (particularly against antibiotic-resistant bacteria), and rarely lead to resistance.