Contact Hypersensitivity to Local Antibacterial Agents

Abstract

To find out the incidence of contact hypersensitivity due to various antibacterial agents, patch tests were performed with these medications in 101 patients suspected to havek developed contact dermatitis due to some such agent. Positive patch tests were obtained with nitrofurazone, (furacin) in 56 cases, neomycin in 28 cases penicillin in 12 cases, tyrothricin (tyroderm), gentamicin (genticyn), framycitin (soframycin) and oxytetracycline (terramycin) in 13 cases each, triple sulfa , and mercurochrome in 9 cases each and acriflavine in 4 cases. Two cases showed patch tests with brilliant green, but none with gentian violet. Twenty eight patients were negative with all drugs tested. Many patients showed positive patch tests with more than one antibacterial agent.Neomycin 20% in petrolatum gave more frequent positive patch tests compared to the commericial 0.35% neomycin ointment or 20% aqueous neomycin, but there was no significant difference between the commercial 0.2% nitrofurazone ointment, 2% nitrofurazone in petrolatum of 22 controls, 6 patients showed positive patch tests with the commercial neomycin ointment as well as 20% neomycin in petrolatum, 1 patient with 0.2% nitrofurazone ointment and 5 patients with 200% nitrofurzone in petrolatum .