"Tobrex" is a popular ophthalmic drug prescribed for both adults and children for inflammation of the eye tissue caused by bacteria. It is characterized by a wide spectrum of antibacterial action, a convenient form of release and a quick healing effect. Doctors and parents leave a lot of good reviews about this medicine.
Features of the drug
Tobrex is a product of Alcon, which also manufactures many other products for the ophthalmic field, such as contact lenses, eye surgery instruments, and dry eye products. At the moment, "Tobrex" is presented only with eye drops, but earlier this tool was also produced in the form of an ointment.
The drug is a clear solution, packaged in 5 milliliters in special dropper bottles. It is usually colorless, but it can be slightly yellowish. The main ingredient of the drug is called tobramycin and is presented in solution at a concentration of 0.3%, that is, each milliliter of medication contains 3 mg of this antibiotic. Among the auxiliary components of "Tobrex" there are sodium chloride, benzalkonium chloride, boric acid and other compounds, thanks to which the solution retains its liquid form and does not deteriorate.
On sale there are also drops called "Tobrex 2X". They are also produced by the Alcon company and contain 0.3% tobramycin, but differ in the composition of inactive ingredients, which makes the solution more viscous and its color is light brown. This medicine contains mannitol, polysorbate 80, xanthan gum and other components. "Tobrex 2X" is also sold in 5 ml dropper bottles and is used for the same indications.
Operating principle
Since "Tobrex" is a group of local antibiotics used in ophthalmology, it acts only on eye tissue.
Its main ingredient belongs to aminoglycosides and has a fairly wide range of effects on pathogenic bacteria. When used in small doses, it slows down the multiplication of microbes, which helps the immune system to cope faster with the infection (this action is called bacteriostatic). In higher doses, tobramycin affects the cytoplasmic membranes in the cells of pathogens, provoking their death (acts bactericidal).
"Tobrex" has a high activity in relation to such microbes that can provoke inflammation of the eye tissues:
- different types of staphylococci, including strains of epidermal and Staphylococcus aureus;
- many types of streptococci, among which there are pneumococci and beta-hemolytic streptococci;
- pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Proteus, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, some Neisseria and other pathogens.
Indications
Most often, doctors prescribe Tobrex or Tobrex 2X for a child with conjunctivitis caused by a bacterial infection. Signs of this disease are usually redness of the eyes and the appearance of purulent discharge, due to which the patient has poor vision, and the edges of the eyelids can stick together.
The drug is also in demand when the infection from the conjunctiva spreads to other tissues of the eye, for example, if the child has developed blepharoconjunctivitis or the doctor has diagnosed keratoconjunctivitis. Drops are prescribed for different types of blepharitis, when bacteria provoke inflammation of the eyelids, and for inflammation of the lacrimal sac, called dacryocystitis, and for meibomitis, when the eyelid glands are affected.
"Tobrex" is also used for keratitis, if pathogens caused inflammation of the cornea, due to which the eye turned red, began to hurt, and the surface of the cornea became cloudy. Another indication for the use of "Tobrex" is iridocyclitis. With it, the inflammatory process is localized in the ciliary body and the iris.
If the child has undergone eye surgery, the doctor will prescribe Tobrex for prevention. In such cases, the task of the drops will be to prevent possible complications that are provoked by harmful bacteria. Some ENT doctors recommend to drip "Tobrex" into the nose in case of purulent rhinitis or sinusitis.
At what age is it allowed?
The manufacturer notes the possibility of using Tobrex and Tobrex 2X drops in children over one year old. In practice, the medicine can be prescribed by ophthalmologists and pediatricians not only to children over a year old, but also to infants.
The use of a medicine in a newborn is possible only as directed by a specialist.
Contraindications
It is impossible to drip "Tobrex" only in case of hypersensitivity to any of the components of such a solution. Due to the local action of such an antibiotic, these drops have no other contraindications.
Side effects
The use of "Tobrex" can provoke a negative local reaction in some small patients, which is caused by an allergy to the drug. It usually presents with swelling and severe itching, as well as tearing and redness of the eyes. The child may also complain of pain, discomfort in the eyes (as if there were a foreign body in them) and burning. Any of these symptoms that arose after the first use of the solution or after several instillations should be the reason for discontinuing the drug and contacting your doctor.
Excessively prolonged use of the drug can also adversely affect the patient's health. If you drip Tobrex for too long, the agent can provoke a decrease in local immunity, which may lead to the development of a fungal infection or superinfection. To reduce the risk of such complications, the medication should not be used for more than 24 days.
Instructions for use
A single dose of "Tobrex" is 1-2 drops, and the frequency of use depends on the diagnosis and course of the disease. For example, if the inflammation of the conjunctiva is mild, then the medicine should be dripped into the eyes every four hours. If conjunctivitis, keratitis or other eye disease has begun acutely and is severe, "Tobrex" is used every hour, and as the activity of inflammation subsides, the frequency decreases.
The duration of the use of the medication is also determined individually, but most often children are prescribed this medication in a course of up to 7 days.
For an antibiotic to be effective, it must be dripped into the eyes correctly:
- before the procedure, be sure to wash your hands;
- the child should tilt his head back, and the adult should pull the eyelid of one eye down, while asking the child to look up;
- "Tobrex" should be dripped into the space between the eyeball and the eyelid;
- the bottle should be held vertically above the eye;
- the tip of the bottle should not touch the eyelashes and eyelids (you also cannot touch it with your fingers);
- asking the child to close his eyes, you need to blot the rest of the solution with a cotton pad;
- for the drops to work more effectively, it is recommended to keep the eye closed for 2 minutes after instillation of the drug, pressing it in the area of the inner corner;
- then the procedure is repeated for the second eye, if necessary;
- after each instillation, the bottle must be tightly closed.
If the child is prescribed "Tobrex 2X", then shake the bottle with such drops before each use. Since the product is thicker and lasts longer on the mucous membrane of the eye, the frequency of its use is less than for "Tobrex".
The solution is injected into the sore eye, one drop four times on the first day, and then the agent is used twice until the end of the course prescribed by the doctor.
Overdose
If you accidentally use "Tobrex" in a higher dose than the doctor prescribed, you can provoke erythema, swelling of the eyelids, itching, severe lacrimation or even pinpoint inflammation of the cornea.
To eliminate these symptoms, you need to cancel the medicine, rinse the eyes with clean water and symptomatic therapy.
Interaction with other drugs
"Tobrex" can be prescribed together with any other medicines, with the exception of other aminoglycoside antibiotics, which are taken by mouth. If you combine drops with such funds, the development of side effects, which are called systemic, is possible.
If "Tobrex" is used together with other ophthalmic drugs, then they should be injected into the eyes at intervals of 5 minutes. If other eye drops are prescribed together with "Tobrex", then the order of using the drugs is unimportant, and when prescribed together with the ointment, "Tobrex" should first be dripped, and after five minutes the ointment can be applied.
Terms of sale
Both "Tobrex" and "Tobrex 2X" are sold by prescription, therefore, a specialist examination before purchasing such antibiotics is required. The cost of one bottle is 180-200 rubles on average.
Storage conditions
The manufacturer calls the optimum temperature for storing Tobrex at home the range of + 8- + 30 degrees, that is, keeping the medicine in the refrigerator is not required. For "Tobrex 2X", the recommended temperature range is from +5 to +25 degrees.
The shelf life of the solution, if the package has not yet been opened, is 3 years (for "Tobrex 2x" - 2 years), but after the first use, the medication can be dripped for only four weeks. If the bottle was opened more than a month ago, the drug should be thrown away, even if all the medicine has not been used.
Reviews
There are mostly positive reviews about the treatment with "Tobrex", in which parents praise such drops for a good effect on barley and conjunctivitis, an acceptable price and ease of use.
Some mothers attribute the short shelf life of the opened medicine to the disadvantages of the medicine. In rare negative reviews, they complain of a side reaction or lack of effect, which is why they had to go to the doctor again and change the antibiotic.
Analogs
If for any reason it is impossible to use "Tobrex" in a child, the doctor can replace such baby drops with another local antimicrobial medicine, the list of which is quite wide.
- Floxal... Such drops based on ofloxacin represent a group of fluoroquinolones and can be used in children with conjunctivitis and other eye infections from birth. The drug is also available in the form of an ointment. Instead of "Floxal" in drops, you can use "Dancil" and "Uniflox" - analogs that also contain ofloxacin.
- "Tsipromed"... The action of these eye drops on pathogenic bacteria is due to ciprofloxacin, which is also a fluoroquinolone. It can be used in children over a year old. Tsipromed is also produced in the form of ear drops that are dripped into the ears of patients over 15 years old. Analogs of this medicine are drops "Ciprolet" and "Ciprofloxacin".
- "Torbradex"... Unlike Tobrex, these drops contain not only tobramycin, but also dexamethasone. They are prescribed for keratitis, conjunctival inflammation and blepharitis in children over 12 years old. The drug can replace other combined drugs that act by combining an antibiotic and a glucocorticoid, for example, "Sofradex" or "Maxitrol".
- "Sulfacil sodium"... This drug from the sulfonamide group is also called "Albucid". It is used for purulent inflammation of the eyes or for its prevention at any age, including in newborns.
- "Vitabakt"... These eye drops contain picloxidine and can be used for dacryocystitis, keratitis, blepharitis and other eye diseases from birth. Since the active ingredient "Vitabact" affects some viruses and fungi, this medicine can also be prescribed for viral conjunctivitis.
- "Levomycetin"... This drug contains chloramphenicol and in the form of eye drops can be used at any age. It is prescribed to drip for blepharitis, barley and other infectious eye diseases.
- Okomistin... Such a remedy from the group of antiseptics acts not only on bacteria, but also on other infectious agents. It contains miramistin and can be used from the age of three. These drops can also be administered to the nose or ears.
Ophthalmologist's tips for instilling eye drops for children are presented in the video below.
