Dr. Eni Williams graduated from Creighton University in 1988 with a B.S. degree in pharmacy and a Doctor of Pharmacy from Howard University in 1994. She also obtained a Ph.D. in Public Policy in 2009 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Mupirocin is an antibiotic that is used
topically (on the skin) for the treatment of impetigo, a bacterial disease of the
skin caused by Staphylococcus aureus, beta-hemolytic streptococcus and
Streptococcus pyogenes. It also is used intranasally (inside the nose) by
patients and some people who work in healthcare centers to eliminate
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that have colonized the
inside of the nose.
Unlike most other antibiotics which act on either bacterial
DNA or the walls of bacteria, mupirocin blocks the activity of an enzyme called
isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase within the bacteria. This enzyme is necessary in order
for the bacteria to make proteins. Without the ability to make proteins, the
bacteria die. Because of its unique mechanism of action, there is little chance
that bacteria will have become resistant to mupirocin because of exposure to
other antibiotics. Mupirocin topical cream was approved by the FDA in December
1987. The intranasal form was approved in October 1995.
PRESCRIPTION: Yes
GENERIC AVAILABLE: No
PREPARATIONS: Ointment: 15 g tubes as 2% (20 mg/g). Cream: 15 and 30 g
tubes as 2% (20mg/g). Nasal ointment: 1 g tubes as 2% (20 mg/g).
STORAGE: The tablets should be kept at room temperature, 15-30 C
(59-86 F).
PRESCRIBED FOR: Mupirocin is used for the treatment of impetigo and
infections of the skin caused by Staphylococcus aureus, beta-hemolytic
streptococcus or Streptococcus pyogenes. Mupirocin is not recommended for use on
the skin in serious burns, because more of the vehicle (the inactive ingredient)
used for the ointment, polyethylene glycol
(Miralax), may be absorbed and can damage the
kidneys. The nasal ointment of mupirocin is used for the elimination of nasal
Staphylococcus aureus that have become
resistant to other antibiotics. Mupirocin
also may be used for other infections as determined by the physician.
DOSING: For the treatment of impetigo, a small amount of the ointment
is applied to the affected area, usually three times daily. The area may be
covered with a sterile gauze dressing. If there is no improvement in 3-5 days,
the physician should be contacted to re-examine the infected area. For other
skin infections, the cream is applied to the affected area 3 times a day for 10
days, and the doctor should be contacted as well if there is no improvement
after 3-5 days.
When mupirocin is used for patients who harbor intranasal Staphylococcus
aureus that are resistant to many other antibiotics, those who are age 12 years and
older require the application of about half of the ointment from a single-use
tube of nasal ointment into one nostril and the other half into the other
nostril. This treatment is repeated twice daily for 5 days. Currently, there is
not enough information to recommend use of mupirocin in children younger than 12
years of age.
DRUG INTERACTIONS: There are no known drug interactions with
mupirocin; however, it should not be used at the same time with other drugs that
are applied inside the nose.
PREGNANCY: There are no adequate studies of mupirocin in
pregnant
women; however, studies in animals suggest no important effects on the fetus.
Mupirocin, therefore, can be used in pregnancy if the physician feels that it is
necessary.
NURSING MOTHERS: There is no information on the safety of mupirocin in
nursing infants. It is unknown if any of the small amount of mupirocin that is
absorbed from the skin into the blood of the mother concentrates in
breast milk.
It is advisable, therefore, not to nurse while using mupirocin.
SIDE EFFECTS: Side effects are uncommon and mild with mupirocin. The
most frequent side effects are burning, stinging, pain, and itching at the area
of application.
The intranasal use of mupirocin can cause headache (1 of every 11 patients),
runny nose (1 in 17), congestion (1 in 20), sore throat (1 in 22), changes in
taste perception (1 in 30), nasal irritation (1 in 50) and cough (1 in 50).
The word "rash" means an outbreak of red bumps on the body. The way people use this term, "a rash" can refer to many different skin conditions. The most common of these are scaly patches of skin and red, itchy bumps or patches all over the place.
Staphylococcus or Staph is a group of bacteria that can cause a multitude of diseases. Staph infections can cause illness directly by infection or indirectly by the toxins they produce. Symptoms and signs of a Staph infection include redness, swelling, pain, and drainage of pus. Minor skin infections are treated with an antibiotic ointment, while more serious infections are treated with intravenous antibiotics.
MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria causes skin infections with the following signs and symptoms: cellulitis, abscesses, carbuncles, impetigo, styes, and boils. Normal skin tissue doesn't usually allow MRSA infection to develop. Individuals with depressed immune systems and people with cuts, abrasions, or chronic skin disease are more susceptible to MRSA infection.
Eczema is a general term for many types dermatitis (skin inflammation). Atopic dermatitis is the most common of the many types of eczema. Other types of eczema include: contact eczema, allergic contact eczema, seborrheic eczema, nummular eczema, stasis dermatitis, and. dyshidrotic eczema.
Impetigo is a contagious skin infection caused by staph and strep bacteria. There are two types of impetigo: non-bullous and bullous. Symptoms of non-bullous impetigo include small blisters on the nose, face, arms, or legs and possibly swollen glands. Bullous impetigo symptoms include blisters in various areas, particularly in the buttocks area. Treatment involves gentle cleansing, removing the crusts of popped blisters, and the application of prescription-strength mupirocin antibiotic ointment.
Group A streptococcal infections are caused by group A streptococcus, a bacteria that causes a variety of health problems, including strep throat, impetigo, cellulitis, erysipelas, and scarlet fever. There are more than 10 million group A strep infections each year.
Drug resistance (antimicrobial resistance) is the ability of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses to grow, even in the presence of a drug that would normally kill it (or limit it's growth). Drug resistance is a growing problem, particularly for infections such as MRSA, VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci), tuberculosis, HIV, STDs, gonorrhea, flu, pneumonia, malaria, E. coli, salmonella, Campylobacter, which causes diarrhea and gastroenteritis. Learn how to protect yourself from resistance to drugs.
Increasing use of antimicrobials in humans, animals,
and agriculture has resulted in many microbes developing resistance to these
powerful drugs.
Many infectious diseases are increasingly difficult
to treat because of antimicrobial-resistant organisms, including HIV infection, staphylococcal
infection, tuberculosis, influenza, gonorrhea, candida infection, and malaria.
Between 5 and 10 percent of all hospital patients
develop an infection, leading to an increase of about $5 billion in annual
U.S. healthcare costs.
About 90,000 of these patients die each year as a
result of their infection, up from 13,300 patient deaths in 1992.
People infected with antimicrobial-resistant organisms are more likely
to have longer hospital stays and may require more complicated treatment.
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