Rubbing alcohol is commonly used as an external first aid antiseptic to remove dirt, decrease germs, prevent infection and temporarily relieve pain in minor cuts, scrapes and burns. Alcohol should not be used on open wounds, but on intact skin surrounding the edges of a wound. Leave the job of open wound irrigation to hydrogen peroxide.
Rubbing alcohol is for external use only, and is poisonous if taken internally. Keep out of reach of children. If accidentally ingested, contact your Poison Control Center immediately. Rubbing alcohol is also flammable.
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Do not use alcohol, iodine or mercurial solutions to cleanse a wound; these can damage the tissue.
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Health Information
Under usual conditions of exposure, IPA is quickly converted to acetone once taken into the body. Acetone is naturally present in virtually every organ and tissue in the human body as a result of metabolic processes.6
Toxicology studies have shown that IPA poses a low health hazard and does not cause adverse health or environmental effects at levels typically found in the workplace or the environment.7 Overexposure to IPA can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and may produce central nervous system depression.8 These effects are typically mild and end shortly after exposure is terminated, not showing any permanent adverse health affects. In coordination, confusion, hypotension, hypothermia, circulatory collapse, respiratory arrest and death may follow a longer duration or higher levels. Swallowing small amounts is not likely to cause injury; however swallowing larger amounts may cause serious injury, and even death.9
Chronic, prolonged or repeated overexposure to IPA has produced adverse liver effects and kidney effects and/or tumors in male rats. Such effects are believed to be species-specific, however, and unlikely to occur in humans.10 For more information, view the Safety Data Sheet.
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