#248196 - 07/09/12 11:37 AM
First Aid - Neosporin/Polysporin
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Old Hand
Registered: 09/19/03
Posts: 736
Loc: Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Hi everyone,
Does it make sense to pack Neosporin (Polysporin in Canada) antibacterial ointment that is ophthalmic (for the eyes) in your small kit (space is a concern, the kit must be readily available in a pocket) Can it be used everywhere on other wounds?
Thanks François
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#248197 - 07/09/12 01:32 PM
Re: First Aid - Neosporin/Polysporin
[Re: Frankie]
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Old Hand
Registered: 04/16/03
Posts: 1076
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Keep in mind that some people are allergic to the neomycin in trible antibiotic ointments (which includes Neosporin). That's bad enough on the skin, but if it happened in an eye it would be a lot worse. Double antibiotic ointment using bacitracin is just as effective without the allergy risk, though I have no idea if it is opthalmic. There are a couple wrinkles with the naming between Canada and the States. In the US, 'Polysporin' is a double antibiotic with bacitracin and polymyxin. In Canada, 'complete Polysporin' is a triple antibiotic with bacitracin, polymyxin, and gramicidin but no neomycin. More info here. ETA: I have a friend who is a dermatologist. He says that if you clean a wound well and keep it covered with petroleum jelly (Vaseline), it will heal just as well as if you used an antibiotic ointment. However I need to ask him how this goes if you are in a situation where cleaning the wound thoroughly is difficult.
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#248205 - 07/09/12 02:36 PM
Re: First Aid - Neosporin/Polysporin
[Re: Glock-A-Roo]
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Old Hand
Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 870
Loc: wellington, fl
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However I need to ask him how this goes if you are in a situation where cleaning the wound thoroughly is difficult. I tried managing a not too bad dog bite at home with betadine scrub, copious irrigation, soaks, and antibiotic ointment. It worked poorly. Too deep, too contaminated...too stupid. If cleaning the wound is difficult, the wound might be too deep to be helped by a dab of antibiotic ointment on the top. Time to abort the mission and head back to civilization. Puncture wounds, foreign bodies, ragged wounds, crush injuries and the like may need surgical exploration and debridement, as well as oral or parenteral antibiotics.
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#248209 - 07/09/12 04:13 PM
Re: First Aid - Neosporin/Polysporin
[Re: nursemike]
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Old Hand
Registered: 04/16/03
Posts: 1076
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[quote=Glock-A-Roo]If cleaning the wound is difficult, the wound might be too deep to be helped by a dab of antibiotic ointment on the top. Time to abort the mission and head back to civilization. Puncture wounds, foreign bodies, ragged wounds, crush injuries and the like may need surgical exploration and debridement, as well as oral or parenteral antibiotics. So true, well said.
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#248213 - 07/09/12 04:57 PM
Re: First Aid - Neosporin/Polysporin
[Re: Frankie]
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Newbie
Registered: 10/23/09
Posts: 42
Loc: 49th parallel
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I have made good use of antibiotic ointment during long backpacking trips.
The first time was on a case of "barbers itch" a staff like skin infection that started in a blister under a pack strap. The second was as eye infection from excessive horse poop dust in the trail, combined with soft contact lenses .
I was glad I had it as it took a couple of days to evacuate each time.
Edited by Oware (07/09/12 04:58 PM)
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#248215 - 07/09/12 05:33 PM
Re: First Aid - Neosporin/Polysporin
[Re: Frankie]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2485
Loc: California
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I just did a quick check, and the concentration of the antibacterial ingredients appears to be equivalent between the regular and opthalmic versions. I'm not sure how well the drops will work on a wound, especially if they drain off right away. For a superficial cut or scrape, I think I would prefer an ointment that will maintain contact with the wound for a while, but in a pinch, it appears that the opthalmic version could work just as well in theory. Anyway, for what it's worth...
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#248218 - 07/09/12 06:22 PM
Re: First Aid - Neosporin/Polysporin
[Re: Frankie]
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Enthusiast
Registered: 12/18/06
Posts: 367
Loc: American Redoubt
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I believe God made Neosporin. It has been my go-to dope for everything including the dogs nose. After this read, I must now test it in all of the farmsteads eyes.
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#248220 - 07/09/12 06:39 PM
Re: First Aid - Neosporin/Polysporin
[Re: Frankie]
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Old Hand
Registered: 06/24/09
Posts: 714
Loc: Kentucky
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In the past we used regular neosporin to treat the matting eyes of our outside cats and it always worked. However, I don't think I would try this on people without asking a legitimate medical professional. My advice is to consult your regular family doctor.
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#248221 - 07/09/12 06:50 PM
Re: First Aid - Neosporin/Polysporin
[Re: Arney]
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Pooh-Bah
Registered: 03/13/05
Posts: 2322
Loc: Colorado
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...the concentration of the antibacterial ingredients appears to be equivalent between the regular and opthalmic versions... It's not just the drug, it's the delivery agent as well. A petroleum-based delivery agent may be just fine for your skin, but not so good for your eyes. While it may not harm your eyes (I don't know this), it may be uncomfortable or not disolve well in tears and you then end up looking through a smeared haze for a while. I would recommend using medicines as they are intended to be used by the manufacturers in cases like this.
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