Cortisporin Cream (Hydrocortisone, Neomycin, Polymyxin B) Drug Information: Description, User Reviews, Drug Side Effects, Interactions

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May 26, 2012

Cortisporin Cream

Swimmer's Ear »

Swimmer's ear facts

Swimmer's ear, or external otitis, is typically a bacterial infection of the outer ear canal skin and can occur in acute and chronic forms.
Excessive water exposure and frequent instrumentation (usually cotton swabs) of the ear canal are important causative factors.
Itchy ears, a feeling of fullness, swelling, drainage, and pain are early symptoms.
Antibiotic ear drops and avoidance of water are frequently necessary for treatment.
Proper ear care can avoid most infections.

What is "swimmer's ear" or acute external otitis?

External otitis or "swimmer's ear" is an infection of the skin covering the outer ear and ear canal. Acute external otitis is commonly a bacterial infection caused by streptococcus, staphylococcus, or pseudomonas types of bacteria. The swimmer's ear infection is usually caused by excessive water exposure from sw...

Read the Swimmer's Ear article »

Cortisporin Cream

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CORTISPORIN® Cream
(neomycin and polymyxin B sulfates and hydrocortisone acetate) Cream, USP

DRUG DESCRIPTION

CORTISPORIN Cream (neomycin and polymyxin B sulfates and hydrocortisone acetate cream, USP) is a topical antibacterial cream. Each gram contains: neomycin sulfate equivalent to 3.5 mg neomycin base, polymyxin B sulfate equivalent to 10,000 polymyxin B units, and hydrocortisone acetate 5 mg (0.5%). The inactive ingredients are liquid petrolatum, white petrolatum, propylene glycol, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene compound, emulsifying wax, purified water, and 0.25% methylparaben added as a preservative. Sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid may be added to adjust pH.

Neomycin sulfate is the sulfate salt of neomycin B and C, which are produced by the growth of Streptomyces fradiae Waksman (Fam. Streptomycetaceae). It has a potency equivalent of not less than 600 µg of neomycin standard per mg, calculated on an anhydrous basis. The structural formulae are:

Neomycin sulfate structural formula illustration

Polymyxin B sulfate is the sulfate salt of polymyxin B₁ and B₂, which are produced by the growth of Bacillus polymyxa (Prazmowski) Migula (Fam. Bacillaceae). It has a potency of not less than 6,000 polymyxin B units per mg, calculated on an anhydrous basis. The structural formulae are:

Polymyxin B sulfate structural formula illustration

Hydrocortisone acetate is the acetate ester of hydrocortisone, an anti-inflammatory hormone. Its chemical name is 21-(acetyloxy)- 11β,17-dihydroxypregn-4-ene-3,20-dione. Its structural formula is: