Polysporin
Encyclopedia
Polysporin is a line of antibiotic
ointments produced by Johnson & Johnson
used in the prevention of infection
and speeding the healing of wound
s. The original formulation contains bacitracin
and polymyxin B
.
In the United States
, Polysporin is less popular than Neosporin
which contains a third antibiotic, neomycin
. In Canada
, the "complete" version of Polysporin, which is known generically as "triple antibioitic ointment", contains gramicidin
as the third antibiotic, and does not contain neomycin.
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
ointments produced by Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
used in the prevention of infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
and speeding the healing of wound
Wound
A wound is a type of injury in which skin is torn, cut or punctured , or where blunt force trauma causes a contusion . In pathology, it specifically refers to a sharp injury which damages the dermis of the skin.-Open:...
s. The original formulation contains bacitracin
Bacitracin
Bacitracin is a mixture of related cyclic polypeptides produced by organisms of the licheniformis group of Bacillus subtilis var Tracy, isolation of which was first reported in 1945....
and polymyxin B
Polymyxin B
Polymyxin B is an antibiotic primarily used for resistant gram-negative infections. It is derived from the bacterium Bacillus polymyxa. Polymyxin B is a mixture of two closely related compounds, polymyxin B1 and polymyxin B2. It has a bactericidal action against almost all gram-negative bacilli...
.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Polysporin is less popular than Neosporin
Neosporin
Neosporin is the product branding & formulas now owned by Johnson & Johnson of an antibiotic over-the-counter topical created under Warner-Lambert Consumer Healthcare, now a part of Pfizer...
which contains a third antibiotic, neomycin
Neomycin
Neomycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that is found in many topical medications such as creams, ointments, and eyedrops. The discovery of Neomycin dates back to 1949. It was discovered in the lab of Selman Waksman, who was later awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and medicine in 1951...
. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the "complete" version of Polysporin, which is known generically as "triple antibioitic ointment", contains gramicidin
Gramicidin
Gramicidin is a heterogeneous mixture of six antibiotic compounds, gramicidins A, B and C, making up 80%, 6%,and 14% respectively, all of which are obtained from the soil bacterial species Bacillus brevis and called collectively gramicidin D. Gramicidin D are linear pentadecapeptides; that is...
as the third antibiotic, and does not contain neomycin.