ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES OF SULFACETAMIDE

Swabs of the anterior eye segment of 180 eyes (145 patients) taken in the time period between August 1, 1989 until August 30, 1989 were sent to an external, independent microbiological institute in order to ver ify in-vitro antibacterial properties of marketed sulfacetamide contai ning drugs. MIC test was performed with isolated pathogenic bacterial strains without knowledge of the underlying diagnosis. It was shown th at sulfacetamide is able to inhibit the growth of all isolated strains . Depending on the type of bacteria concentrations of 0.006 up to 6.4% sodium sulfacetamide proved to be effective. Simultaneously, all pati ents were treated with sulfacetamide containing ointment and/or eye dr ops 4 times daily for maximum of 14 days. With swabs taken at interval s of 7 and 14 days no bacterial growth was detected.