Medicines, like food, have certain deadlines for saving. However, food products are perishable.
And such drugs as iodine and brilliant green, in practice, demonstrate an unlimited time for their use. Proper storage of these antiseptics ensures their long-term use .
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Do brilliant greens and iodine have expiration dates?
In general, iodine and brilliant green solution solve the same problem - provide disinfection , although each drug finds its use in different situations.
Many users are wondering about the timing of using brilliant green and iodine. Do they have any restrictions? Naturally, these most popular drugs in everyday life, despite their alcohol base, have characteristic spoilage properties .
The established shelf life of brilliant green is 2 years, and that of iodine is a little longer - 3 years.
This information is indicated by manufacturers on the packaging. Although, according to GOSTs of the Russian Federation (4159-79 - iodine), these products have a guaranteed period of only one year .
The warranty for the drug is commensurate with the period when the purchased product meets established requirements and is completely safe .
Shelf life of brilliant green after opening
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Sometimes it seems that brilliant green is the main component of every home first aid kit; everyone has it. Almost every abrasion and broken knees were lubricated with it, but not everyone thought about the question of whether there is an expiration date for brilliant green. Does it exist?
As with all medical products, the expiration date must be written directly on the product. We're all used to seeing Brilliant Green in traditional tinted glass jars of 10ml or larger, but there are alternative packaging methods. This medicine is also available in plastic bottles with a dropper, also with a polymer brush, even in the form of a marker. The latter type of packaging is very convenient for use by children, since it is very difficult for a marker to get dirty, and such medicine, as is known, practically cannot be washed off.
Manufacturers are developing its packaging year after year, taking into account user convenience. All these different types have one thing in common - shelf life. You may not have paid attention to it before, but it is present in all its types. And, as a rule, it is the same, except for the dry powder. To prepare a complete solution, it must be diluted with alcohol, which is not very convenient in most cases when immediate help is needed.
Warranty period for using drugs in original packaging and after unpacking
Experts have come to a consensus that during the guaranteed period specified by the manufacturer, the quality of these products does not suffer , both after opening and in unopened packaging.
For example, by putting powdered fine-crystalline iodine in a tightly closed bottle, you can preserve its healing qualities for a longer period than guaranteed by the manufacturer.
Find out whether paracetamol tablets have a shelf life here.
How to store greenery?
In order for brilliant green to retain its qualities for a long time, the following conditions must be met:
- Store in a dark place, protected from direct sunlight;
- Temperature: approximately 15 C. Can be refrigerated. Be sure to place it away from heat sources.
- It is important to close the lid tightly. Many people, after opening the bottle, throw away the plastic stopper from under the cap, but it is better not to do this, because it protects against air and prevents the alcohol from evaporating.
It should also be added that, like all drugs, it should be kept away from children. And since brilliant green stains strongly, it must be placed separately from other drugs.
As mentioned above, brilliant green is “afraid” of direct sunlight, heat and air. These factors influence the acceleration of alcohol weathering.
How to store in pharmacies?
We have all repeatedly paid attention to the many different cabinets with medicines in pharmacies.
This is a necessary requirement for proper storage of medicines until they are sold.
The brilliant green solution and iodine tincture are stored in special furniture cells.
They isolate drugs from light and maintain the required temperature.
In some cases, pharmacists store these products in containers due to the coloring capabilities of the preparations.
with the standards for saving pharmaceuticals for professional activities and business structures:
Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
Brilliant green is antiseptic used exclusively for topical (external) use. The drug has antimicrobial effectiveness aimed at destroying gram-positive microorganisms, and a fungicidal effect aimed at certain strains of pathogenic fungi . Not characterized by irritant , analgesic or anti-inflammatory effects.
Due to its limited external influence, there is no information about the absorption of drugs into the bloodstream and its further participation in metabolic or biochemical processes in the human body.
Saving medications in everyday life before opening the bottle and after
For these purposes, pharmacists have developed certain standards. First of all, solutions of iodine and brilliant green act as dyes; their preservation requires isolation from other substances.
Read the next article on how to properly store activated carbon.
An iodine solution at elevated temperatures turns all objects in the immediate vicinity yellowish and emits a certain odor.
Similar problems are most often encountered by motorists who store first aid kits under the rear window of the car.
The best option for storing iodine and brilliant green is a refrigerator or furniture compartment, protected from daylight and located far from heat sources.
It is recommended to use a little force when screwing the cap.
Also, do not get rid of the plastic or rubber cap, as the tightness will help protect against vapor emissions.
Do not store antiseptics in the bathroom due to sudden temperature changes .
The maximum permissible temperature for them should be no more than 20 degrees.
Please read the instructions carefully before use.
It specifies detailed storage rules. One of the main requirements is the complete isolation of these drugs from children . Their danger is not limited to any pathology. Just washing your hands, face and clothes won't be so easy.
Storage conditions after opening
In this case, there are certain rules developed by chemist experts in this field.
Iodine and brilliant green belong to the category of coloring preparations , therefore, they need to be stored in a separate place. In a medicine cabinet, iodine will stain everything nearby, especially at high temperatures.
We noticed that if you leave iodine in a warm place, then everything that stood nearby will turn yellow and smell of a specific smell (this problem especially often occurs among motorists who like to put first aid kits near the rear window of the car).
The best option is to store iodine and brilliant green in the refrigerator or in a dark cabinet (but not next to batteries!).
Close the lid as tightly as possible, and there is no need to throw away the rubber cap, which is most often found on jars, it will protect the surface from the release of vapors.
Do not store medicines in the bathroom, as the temperature is also not constant, usually medicines can withstand temperatures of 15 to 20 degrees.
read the instructions again ; they stipulate detailed storage conditions. Most importantly, keep medications away from children, iodine and brilliant green are not so dangerous, but washing your green face and hands afterwards is not so pleasant.
What happens during long-term storage?
Naturally, the medicines will not release moldy fungus and will not even change their smell. They will not lose their potential properties for their application. There will only be changes in their concentration and some antiseptic capabilities will disappear.
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evaporates over time .
A fairly concentrated medicinal liquid remains in the container, which should not be used in the future; its beneficial properties will generally be lost.
Iodine/povidone-iodine
Used in an alcohol solution (the so-called “tincture of iodine”) or in Lugol’s solution. Only the edges of the wound are treated with iodine so as not to cause soft tissue burns. The great advantage of iodine is its wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity: it kills all major pathogens and, with prolonged exposure, even spores - the most resistant forms of microorganisms. The use of large amounts of iodine is contraindicated in cases of hypersensitivity to it, hyperfunction of the thyroid gland, thyroid formations, dermatitis, and kidney diseases. Application to mucous membranes is not advisable, especially in children.
How to determine the spoilage of the solution?
First of all, pay attention to the warranty period . If it is expired, do not hesitate to part with this medicine.
These medications cannot be disposed of and do not pose a danger to humans or the environment.
It is very difficult to determine the end of life of the green solution in markers .
At best, it stops performing its function. In ampoules and vials, it will be much easier to determine the discrepancy.
Visually assess the contents of the container. The drug solution is not suitable in the following cases :
- thick consistency;
- the color of the medicine does not match the original;
- sedimentation is visible ;
- there is an unusual scent .
In case of such deviations, you can throw the bottle in the trash without hesitation.
special instructions
When using the drug to treat skin areas adjacent to the eye, you should avoid applying it to the mucous membranes .
Zelenka for Chickenpox
Most likely, most people have childhood memories that include brothers, sisters, friends and classmates simply covered in green circles all over their bodies. At the same time, the word “ Chickenpox ” immediately appears in my head.
Chickenpox , or more correctly Chickenpox, is a viral disease caused by exposure to Varicella Zoster and characterized by the development of fever and the appearance of a benign papulovesicular ( vesicular ) rash . This painful condition is quite contagious, and therefore most people experience it, and, as a rule, in childhood, when this virus , unlike adult patients, most often does not cause any serious complications.
In the countries of the post-Soviet space, where such a drug as Zelenka was actually distributed, there was a practice of lubricating blisters with a solution of Diamond Green, and this was done solely for the purpose of determining the stage of the disease , after which the patient did not pose a threat of infection to other people. As was noted, the “ infectiousness ” of a patient with chickenpox passed 5 days after the formation of the last rash vesicle , and Zelenka served as a kind of indicator of the appearance of this very final vesicle , that is, no new places for using the solution appeared, which means that after 5 days there is no fear of the spread of infection .
However, to this day, forum topics are being created in which the question is clarified whether it is possible to smear Zelenka on a rash that occurs with chickenpox and whether this should be done. The answer to this question is quite simple and is determined by the phrase “yes, it is possible, but not necessary,” since it is not possible to cure or somehow influence the virus using external means.
How to wash brilliant green from skin and how to remove brilliant green from clothes?
As a rule, a few days after using Zelenka, the stains left by it disappear on their own in the process of daily washing and work of the skin's sebaceous glands . Of course, it is better to wait for the natural disappearance of unwanted staining with the drug than to scrub Zelenka using various chemical compounds, thereby damaging the skin .
However, in cases where you need to get rid of green stains urgently, any alcohol-containing solution , acetone , bleach, hydrogen peroxide , baking soda with the addition of vinegar or lemon . It is worth noting that you should immediately prepare for a labor-intensive and lengthy scrubbing process until the observed stains become barely noticeable. You can finally wash off the brilliant green with a scrub , rich cream makeup remover .
Often, when using a Brilliant Green solution, it gets on the clothes of the person using it and remains on it as a bright, difficult-to-remove stain, which is quite problematic to remove at home. There is no universal remedy for removing green stains, since different tissues react completely differently to certain chemicals .
For example, to remove Zelenka from cotton fabrics , you will need to soak things for 2 hours in a warm aqueous bleach with acetone followed by washing with laundry soap may be suitable .
remove stains from delicate fabrics using alcohol-containing products or table vinegar , and removing stains from woolen clothes without damaging them is possible only by prolonged washing with laundry soap .
Also recently, many stain removers , which supposedly can remove any unwanted stains without harming the quality of fabrics. In this case, we can recommend a thorough study of the components of such a product and instructions for its use, so as not to dissolve the delicate fabric along with the unwanted stain.
Is there any and which one?
Shelf life is the time period during which the manufacturer guarantees that the product will perform its declared functions in full (subject to storage conditions). Despite the fact that many people keep green stuff in their home medicine cabinet for years and decades , there is no practical sense in this.
This is a cheap alcohol-based antiseptic that prevents infection of damaged areas of the body. Nowadays, when there are many other antiseptics, brilliant green is practically not used - mainly because after use it leaves persistent green stains on fabric and skin.
