A tube of bacitracin ointment for eyes

Bacitracin is a mixture of related cyclic polypeptides produced by organisms of the licheniformis group of Bacillus subtilis var Tracy. Its unique name derives from the fact that the bacillus producing it was first isolated in 1943 from a knee scrape from a girl named Margaret Tracy.^[1] As a toxic and difficult-to-use antibiotic, bacitracin doesn't work well orally. However, it is very effective topically. In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the path by which a drug, fluid, poison or other substance is brought into contact with the body 1. ... In medicine, a topical medication is applied to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes such as the vagina, nasopharynx, or the eye. ... Intramuscular injection is the injection of a substance directly into a muscle. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 381 pixelsFull resolution (1254 × 598 pixel, file size: 101 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bacitracin Metadata This file contains additional... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 381 pixelsFull resolution (1254 × 598 pixel, file size: 101 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bacitracin Metadata This file contains additional... Peptides (from the Greek πεπτος, digestible), are the family of short molecules formed from the linking, in a defined order, of various α-amino acids. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Binomial name Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenberg 1835) Cohn 1872 Gram-stained Bacillus subtilis Sporulating Bacillus subtilis Bacillus subtilis is a Gram-positive, catalase-positive bacterium commonly found in soil. ... Staphylococcus aureus - Antibiotics test plate. ...

Bacitracin is synthesised via the so-called nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), which means that ribosomes are not involved in its synthesis. Figure 1: Ribosome structure indicating small subunit (A) and large subunit (B). ... Nonribosomal peptides (NRP) are a class of secondary metabolites, usually produced by microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. ...

Mechanism of action

Bacitracin interferes with the dephosphorylation of the C₅₅-isoprenyl pyrophosphate, a molecule which carries the building blocks of the peptidoglycan bacterial cell wall outside of the inner membrane [1]. General Name, Symbol, Number carbon, C, 6 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 14, 2, p Appearance black (graphite) colorless (diamond) Standard atomic weight 12. ... Peptidoglycan, also known as murein, is a substance that forms a homogeneous layer lying outside the plasma membrane in bacteria. ... A cell wall is a fairly rigid layer surrounding a cell, located external to the cell membrane, that provides the cell with structural support, protection, and a filtering mechanism. ...

Clinical use

As bacitracin zinc salt, and in combination with other topical antibiotics (usually polymyxin B and neomycin), it is used in ointment form for topical treatment of a variety of localized skin and eye infections, as well as for the prevention of wound infections. In the United States a popular brand name Neosporin contains Bacitracin as one of its antibiotic agents along with Neomycin and Polymyxin B. Bacitracin can also be bought in pure form for those with allergies. Polymyxin B (also referred to as PMB) are antibiotics primary used for resistant gram negative infections. ... Neomycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that is found in many topical medications such as creams, ointments and eyedrops. ... An ointment is a viscous semisolid preparation used topically on a variety of body surfaces. ... An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ... Neosporin is the product name of a bacitracin ointment produced by Pfizer used in the prevention of infection and speeding the healing of exposed Biological tissue. ... Staphylococcus aureus - Antibiotics test plate. ... Neomycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that is found in many topical medications such as creams, ointments and eyedrops. ... Polymyxin B (also referred to as PMB) are antibiotics primary used for resistant gram negative infections. ...

In infants, it is sometimes administered intramuscularly for the treatment of pneumonias. This formulation is sold under the brand name Baciim®. Intramuscular injection is an injection of a substance directly into a muscle. ... Pneumonia is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system in which the alveoli (microscopic air-filled sacs of the lung responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere) become inflamed and flooded with fluid. ...

References