Is povidone iodine and iodine the same?

Depends on items: Povidone iodine (betadine) is found in several topical preparations (scrub, spray, swabs, pads, etc) as a strong antiseptic, used to prevent bacterial growth. Iodine is a chemical element that the thyroid gland uses to synthesize thyroid hormone. If you mean tincture of iodine, this is a disinfectant also, with 2-7% iodine. Povidone iodine is less toxic to human cells than tincture of iodine.

No: Povidone-iodine is a combination of polyvinylpyrrolidone (povidone, pvp) and elemental iodine. It contains from 9.0% to 12.0% available iodine and is used topically to fight infection. Iodine is an element. It can be present in many forms besides povidone-iodine.

Not quite.: This is an antiseptic that contains iodine, but it's not pure iodine.