In vivo assessment of antimicrobial activity and toxicity of repeated 1% povidone-iodine applications vs a single 5% povidone-iodine application.

Preoperative repeated applications of 1% PI effectively eradicated ocular surface bacteria equal to that of 5% PI with a less deleterious effect on the corneal epithelium. Our findings suggest that 1% PI may be a promising alternative to 5% PI.