Potassium Permanganate: First Aid Question?

[Pete E]

Can anyone advise just how effective potassium permanganate is as a wound disinfectant/antiseptic?

I recall reading that just a few crystals in a litre of water (enough to turn it light pink) is enough to make the water safe to drink, providing its doesn't contain too much suspended organic matter...Taking that a step further, does a potassium permanganate solution make a good antiseptic/disinfectant, say on a par with Savlon and if so what concentration is needed?

I am looking for a concenrated "dry" product to act as disinfectant/antiseptic in a firstaid kit...I am thinking that as little as a teaspoon full of potassium permanganate may well make several litres of disinfectantantiseptic solution as an alternative to a heavier/bulkier bottle of savlon thats also more prone to breakage.

Or can anybody suggest any alternative? Perhaps a high dose of puritabs or similar?

Regards,

Pete

 

[desert_emperor]

Just wondered if something like iodine tincture would suffice? Its good for water purification and i've noticed that its used a lot in hospitals for wound cleaning etc.

Any thoughts???

All the best....Paul

 

[Greg]

Can anyone advise just how effective potassium permanganate is as a wound disinfectant/antiseptic?

I recall reading that just a few crystals in a litre of water (enough to turn it light pink) is enough to make the water safe to drink, providing its doesn't contain too much suspended organic matter...Taking that a step further, does a potassium permanganate solution make a good antiseptic/disinfectant, say on a par with Savlon and if so what concentration is needed?

I am looking for a concenrated "dry" product to act as disinfectant/antiseptic in a firstaid kit...I am thinking that as little as a teaspoon full of potassium permanganate may well make several litres of disinfectantantiseptic solution as an alternative to a heavier/bulkier bottle of savlon thats also more prone to breakage.

Or can anybody suggest any alternative? Perhaps a high dose of puritabs or similar?

Regards,

Pete

Hi there,

"Add Potassium Permanganate to water until it becomes bright pink to sterilise it, mix to a deeper pink to make an antiseptic and to a full red to treat fungal diseases such as athletes foot."

This is an extract from 'The SAS Survival Handbook' by John Wiseman.
If ever there was someone with experience to call on I would ask for his, to have put this in his book I would say that it works effectively!

I hope this helps

 

[Mike B]

Can anyone advise just how effective potassium permanganate is as a wound disinfectant/antiseptic?

Very effective.

I recall reading that just a few crystals in a litre of water (enough to turn it light pink) is enough to make the water safe to drink, providing its doesn't contain too much suspended organic matter...Taking that a step further, does a potassium permanganate solution make a good antiseptic/disinfectant, say on a par with Savlon and if so what concentration is needed?

Instead of pink go for a light purple colour about a 25% solution

I am looking for a concenrated "dry" product to act as disinfectant/antiseptic in a firstaid kit...I am thinking that as little as a teaspoon full of potassium permanganate may well make several litres of disinfectantantiseptic solution as an alternative to a heavier/bulkier bottle of savlon thats also more prone to breakage.

Or can anybody suggest any alternative? Perhaps a high dose of puritabs or similar?

Puritabs are chlorine based and in high very high concentrations could give rise to chemical burns.
As Andrew suggested Iodine tincture is probably more effective for all of the above it is also more efficient at killing amoebic cysts than pottassium permanganate but it is also known to seriously monkey around with your thyroid function and seeing as Thyroxin is essential to life treat it with caution.
Hope this has helped Mike B....

 

[Pete E]

Thanks for the replies..

Would presence of amoebic cysts be an issue with regards cleaning wounds in tissue or do they only cause problem when they are ingested??

Regards,

Pete

 

[alco141]

tthe potassium permaganate pink water decontamination idea has been around for a long time.
of interest is that i have looked for the concentrations of potasium permaganate to disinfect water and can find no science to back up the pink water claim, it is usefull to make a wound disinfectant, but a plastic bottle of betadyne can also be used to purify water and as a disinfectant. there is documentation for the use of betadyne for both applications. i think that until studies show the efficacy of the pink water use of potassium permaganate i would relegate this to the history books and use more proven methods. if anyone can point me to a documented source of testing for potassium permaganate for water purification i would hope you will share it with me.

alex

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

One crystal of Pottasium Permaganate will purify one clear litre of water (no debris or mud). Drop in crystal and stir. No need for it to be pink. But if you think the water isn't fully treated, add a few more crystals.

 

[Mikey P]

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=19333&highlight=miox

Try this for some info on waterpurification - there are some comments of the effectiveness of KMn04.

 

[bartjen 2]

i am a paramedic and in the hospital where i work we recently applied pot; permagnaat to tread a wound, worked well but takes a litlle longer than other products like iodine to work

 

[Mikey P]

i am a paramedic and in the hospital where i work we recently applied pot; permagnaat to tread a wound, worked well but takes a litlle longer than other products like iodine to work

Is that the 'brown liquid' they paint on your skin before surgery?

 

[Bushcraft Medic]

hello there,

PP is a good clening method, but is quiet alquard to use, your best bet is iodine and if you feel that is not working to well then move on to a very good antiseptic spray (pm me for more details )

BM

 

[bartjen 2]

no the thing there are using wiyh us to prepare ou for surgery is jodiun tinctuur, an alcoholic solution of jodium like Isobetadine

 

[Cormac]

how's it Taste?

 

[Mikey P]

how's it Taste?

Taste yum!