"Furacilin" is a well-known antiseptic and has long been used for local treatment of various lesions or inflammations of the skin. Adults often use this product as a gargle and rinse, and as a drip in their eyes or ears. Many doctors prescribe it in childhood. If "Furacilin" was prescribed to a child, parents are interested in when it is advisable to use it and how to properly wipe the skin of young patients.
Release form
Furacilin is sold both in tablets, which are dissolved in water before use, and in the form of a ready-made solution. In addition, there is "Furacilin Ointment". Usually the drug is simply called "Furacilin", but sometimes the manufacturer adds another word or abbreviation to the name so that buyers can recognize its products (for example, "Furacilin Avexima" or "Furacilin-SF"), but the main component of such drugs is the same.
Tableted "Furacilin" is produced by many domestic pharmaceutical companies and is sold in contoured casings or jars. One package contains from 10 to 150 tablets, but the most common packs of 10 and 20 pieces. This remedy has a characteristic yellow or greenish-yellow uneven color. The shape of the tablets is flat and round, and sometimes there is a risk on one of the surfaces.
The finished solution is water and alcohol. Both variants of such "Furacilin" are transparent yellow liquid, and also have a specific smell. The solution is placed in glass or polymer bottles of 100, 200, 400 or 500 ml. In addition, there are also smaller packages - these are bottles of 10, 25 or 50 ml of solution, sometimes equipped with a dropper.
"Furacilin Avexima" is represented by effervescent tablets, which are sold in strips, tubes or jars from 10 to 30 pieces. They are round and yellow in color. "Furacilinovaya ointment" is a thick yellow-greenish mass, which is placed in jars or tubes of 25 grams.
Composition
The main ingredient of the drug is a substance that is also called furacilin, and its second name is nitrofural. Its dosage in solid form is 20 mg in a regular or effervescent tablet. The amount of nitrofural in the solution depends on its concentration, which is 0.02% (200 mg per liter) and 0.067% (67 mg per 100 ml). 100 grams of the ointment contains 200 μg of furacilin, so the concentration of the active substance in this form of the drug is 0.2%.
Auxiliary components of "Furacilin" differ in different dosage forms. For example, tablets additionally include sodium chloride, an alcohol solution - 70% or 95% ethanol, a non-alcoholic solution - sodium chloride and water.
The effervescent tablets, in addition to nitrofural and sodium chloride, contain macrogol 4000, sodium bicarbonate, tartaric acid and sodium carbonate.
Operating principle
The drug has antimicrobial properties, since nitrofural in its composition can penetrate into microbial cells and disrupt their division. The drug is effective against shigella, streptococci, escherichia, staphylococcus, salmonella and many other bacteria.
Indications
The medicine is in demand both to eliminate harmful bacteria and to prevent purulent complications. The reason for using a ready-made and made from a tablet solution of "Furacilin" or "Furacilin ointment" are:
- scratches, cuts, abrasions and other minor injuries to the skin;
- wounds that fester;
- serious burns (2-3 tbsp.);
- bedsores;
- boils;
- an inflamed rash with chickenpox.
The drug in liquid form is also used for diseases of the eyes (conjunctivitis and blepharitis), ears (otitis media and external otitis media) and oropharyngeal mucosa (gingivitis, tonsillitis and stomatitis). When genital organs are infected, it is recommended to wash them with "Furacilin".
For adenoids, laryngitis, bronchitis or other respiratory diseases, the doctor may prescribe inhalation in a nebulizer.
Also "Furacilin" can be included in the composition of complex drops, which are used for prolonged rhinitis or sinusitis.
At what age is it allowed?
The use of "Furacilin" for treating the skin of a child is possible at any age, therefore it can be prescribed even to a newborn. Other procedures with this medicine are permissible only as directed by a doctor. It is not recommended to rinse the nose with Furacilin, do inhalation with it, instill it in the ear or gargle it without consulting a specialist.
Contraindications
Treatment with "Furacilin" solution is prohibited in case of hypersensitivity to the drug, as well as in case of bleeding and allergic skin inflammation.
You should not use the medicine for serious kidney disease.
Side effects
During treatment with "Furacilin" dermatitis may appear, which is why the treatment of the skin should be stopped. Other side effects due to the use of the drug usually do not occur.
Instructions for use
"Furacilin" is intended only for the treatment of mucous membranes and skin. The tablets and solution are not taken inside. The prepared aqueous solution is used to irrigate skin lesions and wounds. This dosage form is also used for washes and wet dressings.
If the doctor prescribed to drip an alcohol solution into the ear, the medicine should be heated to body temperature (held in the hand for a while) and introduced into the ear canal in an amount of 5-6 drops. In case of eye damage, an aqueous solution is injected into the conjunctival sac at the dosage prescribed by the doctor (usually 2-3 drops) up to four times a day.
To make a medicinal solution from solid forms of "Furacilin", the tablet must first be diluted in purified water or saline in a ratio of 1 to 5000. For this, one tablet is placed in 100 ml of water and wait for dissolution. To make the process faster, you can use hot water, but before processing the skin and rinsing the throat or mouth, the prepared solution must cool.
To prepare an alcohol solution, 70% ethyl alcohol is used, which is added in a ratio of 1 to 1500.
The ointment must be applied to the affected areas twice or thrice a day. With blepharitis, this form of "Furacilin" is applied to the edges of the eyelids. The medication is applied to the skin in a thin layer using gloves, a cotton swab or other devices.
Overdose
When applied externally, it will not work to exceed the dosage of "Furacilin", since the medication is absorbed in an insignificant amount. If you accidentally drink the solution, it will lead to vomiting, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea and other unpleasant symptoms. In such a situation, you should rinse the stomach and show the child to the doctor.
Drug interaction
The solution of "Furacilin" should not be combined with adrenaline drops, preparations of resorcinol, novocaine or procaine, as well as solutions of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide, because upon contact with these drugs, the medication will begin to oxidize or decompose.
Terms of sale
To purchase "Furacilin" in a pharmacy, it is not required to show a prescription from a doctor. The price of the drug is low, but it differs in different forms. For example, 10 tablets cost 50-60 rubles, 200 ml of alcohol solution costs about 70 rubles, and a tube of ointment costs about 35 rubles. For 10 effervescent tablets "Furacilin Avexim" you need to pay about 100 rubles.
Storage conditions
It is recommended to keep the drug at home at a temperature not exceeding 25 degrees Celsius in a dry place. The shelf life depends on the dosage form. For tablets, it is longer and is 5 years, and the solution can usually be stored for 2 years from the date of manufacture.
Reviews
Most of the reviews about "Furacilin" are positive. The drug is called effective for suppuration of wounds, inflammation of the tonsils, conjunctivitis, furunculosis and other problems. Its advantages also include availability and low cost. According to parents, the medicine is tolerated normally, and allergy to "Furacilin" is very rare... However, there are also cases when the drug did not help, which is why they leave a negative review.
Doctors also speak well of the drug. The well-known pediatrician Komarovsky recommends the use of "Furacilin" for inflammation of the foreskin in boys for baths, but also notes that the antimicrobial activity of this drug has decreased nowadays, so it is better to prefer more modern antiseptics.
For more information on how to prepare and use furacilin, see the next video.
Analogs
If you need to replace "Furacilin" with another agent for external use, a doctor may prescribe one of these drugs.
- "Dioxidin". This medicine is also represented by a solution and ointment with a greenish-yellow tint. He, like "Furacilin", has antimicrobial properties, so treatment with "Dioxidin" is in demand for the same indications when you need to use "Furacilin". Although the instructions for the medication indicate that it is contraindicated under 18 years of age, the doctor may prescribe its topical use for children.
- "Levomekol"... This white-yellowish ointment contains chloramphenicol and methyluracil. The first component destroys bacteria, and the second accelerates healing, so this ointment is used for purulent wounds, severe burns, otitis externa, cuts and other problems. In childhood, "Levomekol" is prescribed from 1 year.
- "Furasol"... This furazidine-based antimicrobial is available in powder form. A solution is prepared from it, which can be used to treat lesions on the skin at risk of infection, as well as the mucous membrane of the oropharynx. For children, this medicine is prescribed from the age of 4.
- Miramistin. Such a popular antiseptic has the ability to destroy various bacteria, as well as fungi and viruses. The medication is presented as a transparent solution, which is allowed to be used in children from birth. The drug can be used to treat various wounds and burns, as well as to wash the mouth and eyes.
- Betadine. The antiseptic properties of such a drug in the form of an ointment and solution are provided by povidone-iodine. The drug is in demand in the practice of surgeons and dermatologists. It is prescribed for children over one month old and can be replaced with other drugs with the same active compound, for example, a solution of "Aquazan" or "Yod-ka".
