Bactroban Ointment

What is Bactroban ointment?

Bactroban is an antibiotic nasal ointment. The ointment contains 20 mg of mupirocin, which is a highly effective antibiotic, and is the main active ingredient in the treatment.

Bactroban nasal is primarily used to target nasal staph infections. Research shows that the active antibiotic mupirocin can help treat skin disorders and promote the healing of wounds on the skin.

How does Bactroban ointment work?

Bactroban kills bacteria called staphylococcus aureus. Many nasal infections are caused by this bacteria. Although they’re mostly harmless, when the skin of the nasal passage is damaged, these bacteria can penetrate deeper into the mucus membrane.

Once Bactroban is applied to the area of the infection two or more times a day, the antibiotic in the treatment, mupirocin, directly attacks the bacteria present at the site of the infection.

Unlike other antibiotics that break down bacteria cell walls, mupirocin works to prevent the growth of the bacteria. It does this by blocking the protein production system of the bacteria. Once this happens, the bacteria can’t replicate and die.

What doses of Bactroban ointment are available?

Bactroban comes in a small tube which counts as one dosage. In most people, the nasal carriage often clears within five to seven days after the ointment is finished. However, in rare cases, some people use it for more than seven days. If the single dose of Bactroban doesn't do the trick, it’s best to contact our clinician to discuss alternative treatment options for your nasal infection.

How to use Bactroban ointment

There are a few things to bear in mind before using Bactroban nasal. The ointment should be administered to the nasal carriages only.

There’s insufficient data on the interaction of the drug with active ingredients found in various other medications. For this reason, we don’t recommend combining Bactroban Nasal with other nasal infection ointments.

It’s important to speak with our clinician first before using the ointment. They will review your health and your medical history and decide from there if Bactroban is a safe and suitable treatment for you.

For adults, adolescents, and children 12 years and over

Apply around 0.5g to both nasal passages separately in the morning and evening. You should do this for five days. Most people start to have clear nostrils around this time.

Briefly close your nostrils by pressing both sides of your nose for three to five seconds. This will help spread the ointment throughout the nasal passage. It will also prevent the ointment from leaking from the nostrils when you breathe or sneeze.

It’s okay to use the treatment for more than five days if your nostrils aren't totally cleared on the fifth day. But you should send our clinician a message after day five if the infection is still persisting.

For infants and children under 12 years old

You should apply a smaller quantity of the ointment (perhaps the size of a match stick head) into both nostrils twice a day for 3-5 days. A cotton bud instead of the finger is a good option for administering Bactroban nasal to infants and can be used for adults as well.

How long does it take Bactroban ointment to work?

For most people, the nasal carriage is normally cleared of the staph infection within a week (5-7 days) of using the treatment. But our clinician will monitor you to ensure the ointment is working as it should.

What should I do if I make a mistake when using Bactroban ointment?

You should always follow our clinician’s instructions when using Bactroban. If you miss doses, the bacteria will have time to recover, which could make the drug less effective.

It's not uncommon for people to forget to apply the ointment when they should, especially when they experience very quick relief after a day or two of starting treatment. If you miss a dose, or you’ve forgotten when your last dose was, you shouldn’t take twice the amount to make up for it. Just apply the ointment as soon as you remember without doubling the dose.

But if it’s relatively close to the time at which your next dose is due, the best option is to skip the missed dose and take your next dose as normal.

Other mistakes people can make include overdosing and ingestion. If you take too much Bactroban or you mistakenly swallow the ointment (and it causes discomfort) you should seek medical assistance immediately.

Medically reviewed by

Dr Daniel Atkinson

GP Clinical Lead

on August 02, 2022.

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