The effects of topically applied nitrofurazone and rifamycin on wound healing

Abstract

Topical application of a combination of nitrofurazone and rifamycin in contaminated wounds is widely used in Turkey with considerable success. Although nitrofurazone is generally abandoned in European countries and the United States, rifamycin is used for topical wound care in many European countries. However, the experimental data is locking. In this study, full-thickness circular dorsal wounds were created in rats. Three experimental and 2 control groups were constructed. After creation of the defects, the wounds were treated with topical nitrofurazone in the first experimental group, topical rifamycin in the second experimental group, and a combination of topical nitrofurazone and rifamycin in the third experimental group. In the first control group, the wounds were treated with a combination of bacitracin and neomycin, and in the second control group, the wounds were treated with daily cleansing using 0.9% NaCl. The progression of wound healing was measured and documented using photography and millimetric scales. The results demonstrated that the nitrofurazone-treated wound group had significantly delayed full-thickness wound healing. No significant differences were observed among the other groups. The interesting finding is that the combination of nitrofurazone and rifamycin abolished the delayed healing effect observed in the nitrofurazone-treated group.