Smart Shopping for Antibacterial Ointment

Antibacterial ointment is valuable to any household which treats a fair amount of minor abrasions and lacerations. For years, conventional wisdom held that the best way to treat small scrapes and cuts was to let them "air," and not use antibacterial ointment or adhesive bandages to speed along the healing process. We now know that antibacterial ointment prevents scarring by keeping bandages from sticking to a wound while they retain wound moisture and temperature. Letting a scab form and subsequently flake off both takes longer, and is more likely to scar the skin.

The typical antibacterial ointment contains a combination of three broad-spectrum antibiotics which protect against infection from bacteria commonly found on human skin. Most bacteria that live on the surface of the skin are harmless under normal circumstances, but become infection-causing, or pathogenic when exposed to inner layers of skin.

An antibacterial ointment is best used on a minor cut, burn or scrape. After cleansing the area thoroughly with a mild cleanser (harsher cleansers like hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol are not necessary, and can actually damage tissue), apply a thin layer of the antibacterial ointment and cover with a sterile dressing if you desire. In addition to preventing the protective dressing from falling off, antibacterial ointment allows you to maintain a moist, sterile environment, ideal for facilitating the healing process.

What to Look for

An ointment which contains more than one antibiotic is preferable to a single antibiotic cream or ointment for your garden-variety cuts and scrapes. It is better to attack possibly pathogenic bacteria from all sides. When shopping for antibiotic ointment, make sure the packaging is intact and you are not allergic to any of the ingredients.

Common Pitfalls

Of course antibacterial ointment is not appropriate for all cuts, scrapes and burns. Deep puncture wounds should always be evaluated by a physician, and it is better to error on the side of caution if you think stitches may be called for. Body piercing experts warn against using an antibiotic ointment on a fresh piercing, as it will trap air borne contaminants into what is essentially a puncture wound.

Be sure to monitor any wound for signs of infection, which include: excessive redness with streaks radiating from the wound, drainage, increased pain, and no demonstrable improvement in healing. Do not be alarmed by some redness immediately surrounding the wound. This is normal and shows that the healing process is indeed taking place.