Hydrogen Peroxide for first aid .... and many other uses

G'day Joe.
After reading this:-
http://www.solvayinterox.com.au/MSDS/MSDS%20-%20Interox%20ST-50.pdf

I don't think I would want it in my 1st aid kit !

Cheers,
Barry

Joe/Mel a nurse once used it on a realy bad cut I had on my shin to desolve some of the scab around the stiches so as to allow some of the bruising and swelling to be relieved by allowing the blood etc to flow out of the cleaned cut. That was 32 years ago so my memory of exactly why she did it may be a tad hazy. Remember though that the peroxide sure made the blood hiss and foam.

Gooday Joe & Mel,
the "Hydrogen Peroxide" you get from a chemist is very different to variations used in industry.
regards

Joe n Mel, I am a Lab tech in a soils testing laboratory and we use Hydrogen Peroxide (Analytical Grade) both in concentrated form (30%) and in diluted form (6%) and this has a pH value of approx 2.5, making it highly acidic. It is a very powerful oxidizing agent and will readily burn the skin even at 6% strength. I know you could get it from the chemist but that is in a highly diluted form and I doubt it would have the necessary 'firepower' to deal with any nasties. Betadine or strong saline solutions would be a better option.

It's use ranges from 90% used for Rocket Fuel(Oxidiser) to 6% for bleaching hair, 3.5% pharmaceutical grade. It is a very strong oxidiser and because of that it is a very effective antiseptic.

A little bit of reading

H2O2

We've used it for over 30 years as an antiseptic bought from the chemist/pharmacy in a small bottle, Just dabbed it on with a cotton bud and it always stopped the infection where everything else like Betadene etc failed.
On the CSR in 1992 it was very wet and we were the first group down that season, grass was as high as the troopies bonnet on the track and there were heaps of flies which crawled all over any scratches or cuts. Everyone in the group had either small spinifex tips or scrapes and grazes which immediately turned red and infected if not looked after.
Kids being kids they would just keep on playing after scratching themselves and we found the Hydrogen Peroxide was the only thing to stop the infection in the warm humid conditions, Betadene and other treatments did nothing but change the colour of the cut due to the iodine.

There are lots of things that used to be used for first aid and medical uses, but are very much frowned upon these days...and with very good reason.


Hydrogen peroxide is basiclay a bleach.

It may work as a very effective antiseptic, but is it quite likley that it will either damage tissue or inhibit healing.

And you can bet that peroxide on a cut aint gona tickle.

I watched a mate use some on an infected toe nail once......yep it fizzled and spat......from the noises he made and the look on his face..it was not pleasant.

There are much better things to use these days.

cheers

Back in the 50's my parents always kept a bottle for an antiseptic, stung like hell and frothed up in the wound but from memory it also took care of the nasties.
I don't think continued use would be a good idea though as it seemed to eat good bits and bad alike.

Cheers
Pop

The stuff bought from a chemist is what I use all the time and keep a bottle in the first aid kit. Actually you can buy it from Coles or other supermarkets.

After living in the tropics it was the best thing for tropical ear - fixed it up overnight. Also many of your cuts and scratches just won't heal in the moist tropics and run the risk of further infection so hydrogen peroxide works wonders on drying out and cleaning up those.

Surprisingly it does not sting all that much at all - mostly just fizzes when there is infection there. For tropical ear the doctor will give you alcohol drops - now they sting like hell and do little to fix the problem.

Cheers

Serendipity

(P.S - read your members newsletter)

Great for that blonde hair look!!!!!! Michael

The hospital I work at banned the use of Hydrogen Peroxide 10 years ago. It damages the tissues. But all that froth and bubble looked like it was doing good!!

Do blondes really have more fun? If I had a decent crop of hair I could tell you, seeing the topic is peroxide.

I picked up an ear infection swimming on Fraser island years ago, and whenever the weather gets humid here or I go where it is, the bloody thing re-occurs.

I've tried metho, antibiotics, swimmer's ear medication, and none work, but hyrogen peroxide from the chemist does.

I use a eye dropper, and insert it into the infect ear and press. It fizzes, you can hear it, but there's no discomfort.

The solution I use is 3%, and it cost me a bit over $5 with the eye dropper.

As the man said, 'Don't leave home without it'.

Been using H2O2 'chemist grade' (max 6%) for years to clean small abrasions and wounds, especially where there is dirt or other bits of extraneous material involved. It does an amazing job of cleaning away the junk before washing with it's little brother H2O (who said oxygen was safe lol) and applying something like betadine. I've never seen it have a detrimental effect on healthy tissue and I think at that dilution level it's unlikely if you use it correctly. Obviously great care should be taken anywhere around the eyes, ears, nose and mouth! Even soaking a finger or toe in it on and off for a few minutes does no harm in my experience - it loses it's effect as it oxidises. Interestingly the H2O2 in Manuka honey (and other honies) is thought to be one of the main contributors to its antiseptic characteristics (when applied externally of course - eating it just makes you happy I find).

PS agree about the light blue.

Happy Xmas and safe travels all.

A 3% solution is useful for wounds contaminated by anaerobic bugs (they don't like oxygen) but there are better things for general usage. Years ago in PNG I used it to irrigate gunshot and other deep wounds in order to prevent gas gangrene and other nasties. Its not much used any more, certainly not in modern hospitals.

Hi all and really sorry about not getting back to you all sooner, many thanks for the replys and it has answered my question, it was posted on member news letter thingy and i now remember it, i am keen to get some now as our kids have it and the doctor does not really care and has given them some stuff that is NOT working at all ...
But i wont use the rocket fuel as i may kill us all hahahah
Cheers and thanks for the replys
Joe