Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2): a review of its use in surgery

Wasserstoffperoxid (H2O2) – eine Übersicht zur Verwendung in der Chirurgie

  • review
  • Published:
Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Hydrogen peroxide has been used in medicine for more than 100 years. It is known in surgery as a highly useful irrigation solution by virtue of both its hemostatic and its antimicrobial effects. Due to its possible negative effect on wound healing and its cytotoxic effect in higher concentrations, there are concerns about the safety of its use. The objective of this paper is to review the safety and beneficial effects of hydrogen peroxide.

Zusammenfassung

Wasserstoffperoxid wird in der Medizin seit über 100 Jahren benutzt. In der Chirurgie wird es wegen seiner hämostatischen und antimikrobiellen Wirkung als Spüllösung verwendet. Aufgrund der möglichen negativen Auswirkungen auf die Wundheilung und wegen der Zytotoxizität in höheren Konzentrationen gibt es Bedenken in Bezug auf die Sicherheit der Nutzung. Im vorliegenden Beitrag sollen die Sicherheit und die positiven Wirkungen von Wasserstoffperoxid überprüft werden.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Marshall MV, Cancro LP, Fischman SL. Hydrogen peroxide: a review of its use in dentistry. J Peridontol. 1995;66(9):786–96.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Drosou A, Falabella A, Kirsner RS. Antiseptics on wounds: an area of controversy. Wounds. 2013;15(5):149–66.

    Google Scholar 

  3. McDonnell G, Russel AD. Antiseptics and disinfectants: activity, action, and resistance. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1999;12(1):147–79.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Mohammadi AA, Seyed Jafari SM, Kiasat M, Pakyari MR, Ahrari I. Efficacy of debridement and wound cleansing with 2 % hydrogen peroxide on graft take in the chronic-colonized burn wounds; a randomized controlled clinical trial. Burns. 2013;39:1131–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hankin FM, Campbell SE, Goldstein SA, Matthews LS. Hydrogen peroxide as a topical hemostatic agent. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1984;186:244–8.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Potyondy L, Lottenberg L, Anderson J, Mozingo DW. The use of hydrogen peroxide for achieving dermal hemostasis after burn excision in a patient with platelet dysfunction. J Burn Care Res. 2006;27(1):99–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Schumb WC, Satterfield CN, Wentworth RL. Hydrogen peroxide. New York: Reinhold Publishing Corp; 1955. pp. 5–21.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Urschel H, McNamara J, Aslami A. Effects of hydrogen peroxide on arteriosclerosis. Surgery. 1968;63:21.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Jacques LB, Bell HJ. The reduction of hydrogen peroxide by fibrin. Can J Res. 1946;24:79–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Pratico D, Iuliano L, Ghiselli A, Alessandri C, Violi F. Hydrogen peroxide as trigger of platelet aggregation. Hemostasis. 1991;21(3):169–74.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Pratico D, Iuliano L, Pulcinelli FM, Bonavita MS, Gazzaniga PP, Violi F. Hydrogen peroxide triggers activation of human platelets selectively exposed to nonaggregating concentrations of arachidonic acid and collagen. J Lab Clin Med. 1992;119(4):364–70.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Singer AJ, Clark RA. Cutaneous wound healing. N Engl J Med. 1999;341:738–46.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Wasserbauer S, Perez-Meza D, Chao R. Hydrogen peroxide and wound healing: a theoretical and practical review for hair transplant surgeons. Dermatol Surg. 2008;34:745–50.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Cho M, Hunt TK, Hussain MZ. Hydrogen peroxide stimulates macrophage vascular endothelial growth factor release. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2001;280:H2357–H63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Barcellos-Hoff MH, Dix TA. Redox-mediated activation of latent transforming growth factor-beta 1. Mol Endocrinol. 1996;10(9):1077–83.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Park SK, Kim J, Seomun Y, Choi J, Kim DH, Han IO, Lee EH, Chung SK, Joo CK. Hydrogen peroxide is a novel inducer of connective tissue growth factor. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2001;284(4):966–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Garcia-Trevijano ER, Iraburu MJ, Fontana L, Domínguez-Rosales JA, Auster A, Covarrubias-Pinedo A, Rojkind M. Transforming growth factor beta 1 induces the expression of alpha 1(I) procollagen mRNA by a hydrogen peroxide-C/EBPbeta-dependent mechanism in rat hepatic stellate cells. Hepatology. 1999;29:960.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Chung LY, Schmidt RJ, Andrews AM, Turner TD. A study of hydrogen peroxide generation by, and antioxidant activity of, Granuflex hydrocolloid granules and some other hydrogel/hydrocolloid wound management materials. Br J Dermatol. 1993;129:145–53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. O’Toole EA, Goel M, Woodley DT. Hydrogen peroxide inhibits human keratinocyte migration. Dermatol Surg. 1996;22:525–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Geiser T, Ishigaki M, van Leer C, Matthay MA, Broaddus VC. H2O2 inhibits alveolar epithelial wound repair in vitro by induction of apoptosis. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2004;287:L448–L53.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Wilgus TA, Bergdall VK, Dipietro LA, Oberyszyn TM. Hydrogen peroxide disrupts scarless fetal wound repair. Wound Repair Regen. 2005;13:513–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Tur E, Bolton L, Constantine BE. Topical hydrogen peroxide treatment of ischemic ulcers in the guinea pig: blood recruitment in multiple skin sites. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1995;33(1):217–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Pritchett S, Green D, Rossos P. Accidental ingestion of 35 % hydrogen peroxide. Can J Gastroenterol. 2007;21(10):665–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Watt BE, Proudfoot AT, Vale JA. Hydrogen peroxide poisoning. Toxicol Rev. 2004;23(1):51–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Henry MC, Wheeler J, Mofenson HC, Caraccio TR, Marsh M, Comer GM, Singer AJ. Hydrogen peroxide 3 % exposures. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 1996;34(3):323–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Russell AD. Bacterial spores and chemical sporicidal agents. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1990;3(2):99–119.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Jaimes EA, Sweeney C, Raij L. Effects of the reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite on endothelial nitric oxide production. Hypertension. 2001;38:877–83.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Krötz F, Sohn HY, Pohl U. Reactive oxygen species: players in the platelet game. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004;24:1988–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical University Vienna, Elisabethstraße 26/27, 1010, Vienna, Austria

    Michael Vincent Urban

  2. General Hospital Vienna, Department of Surgery, Clinical Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18–20, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Thomas Rath

  3. General Hospital Vienna, Department of Surgery, Clinical Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18–20, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Christine Radtke MBA, FEBOPRAS

Authors
  1. Michael Vincent Urban
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Thomas Rath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christine Radtke MBA, FEBOPRAS
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael Vincent Urban.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

M.V. Urban, T. Rath, and C. Radtke declare that they have no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Urban, M.V., Rath, T. & Radtke, C. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2): a review of its use in surgery. Wien Med Wochenschr 169, 222–225 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-017-0610-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-017-0610-2

Keywords

Schlüsselwörter

Search

Navigation