| abstract |
The present invention provides a long acting antimicrobial and especially antibacterial composition comprising a complex of (a) free elemental iodine with (b) a polymeric linear polymer formed from the recurrence of the 2-pyrrolidone monomer. [-NH-(CH2)3-CO]n having a molecular weight of 1,000 to 500,000 and wherein n is sufficiently large to form a polymer having an inherent viscosity of at least 0.2 and preferably from 3.0 to 5.0 deciliters per gram, and further comprising (c) a high molecular weight material which is isotonic to the skin, preferably a polycarboxylated vinyl resin, having a molecular weight of at least 10,000 and preferably between 250,000 and 300,000 gram molecular weight units. Ointments, dressings and sutures may be made from this polymer complex. |