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The Common Medicine Cabinet Staple That Doctors Say You Should Stop Using
aol.com • • health
Key Points:
- Dr. Trisha Pasricha highlights that topical antibiotic ointments like bacitracin often provide no significant benefit over plain petroleum jelly for minor, uncomplicated wounds.
- A 1996 JAMA study found similar low infection rates and healing outcomes between patients treated with bacitracin and those using white petrolatum after dermatologic surgery.
- Routine use of antibiotic ointments on small cuts can cause allergic contact dermatitis, especially due to ingredients like neomycin and bacitracin, potentially irritating the skin instead of aiding healing.
- Pasricha recommends cleaning minor wounds, keeping them moist with petroleum jelly, and covering them properly as an effective treatment for everyday scrapes, reserving antibiotics for deeper or infected wounds requiring medical care.
