The in vitro efficacy of Nitrofurazone-Rifamycin combination

Abstract

Rifamycin and nitrofurazone combination in the form of a hand made mesh is widely used empirically in wound care, with a considerable success in Turkey. Despite this widespread use, we are unable to find any information in the literature about the use of this drug combination. The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro efficacy of this combination. For this purpose, we used five microorganisms to test the antibacterial activities of Nitrofurazone, Rifamycin and Nitrofurazone-Rifamycin combination in the form of various mixtures; Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values of the antibacterial agents against the microorganisms were evaluated. The most striking result was the existence of a marked synergistic effect of NF-R combination against Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. This form of combination offers a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity. However, further clinically controlled studies are required.