WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Are antibiotic creams bad for cuts?

September 14, 2011

Gitu Ramani has two little boys.

"There are cuts and scrapes all the time, walking into doors, the dog scratching them, falling in the playground," the mom said.

When they get hurt, she grabs the antibiotic ointment.

"I wash it with water and I always carry Neosporin with me," she said.

But a study finds that Americans' frequent use of over-the-counter antibiotic ointments could be creating a new, drug-resistant super strain of MRSA. That's the bacteria that causes mild to severe skin infections, and it can be deadly.

"What was shocking in the study was that the areas that used more of the antibiotic ointment, specifically in the U.S., had more resistance than countries that used a lot less of the antibiotic ointment," said Dr. Matthew Weissman of Ryan Nena Community Health Center.

In the past, MRSA infections were most common in hospitals. But now the bacteria is turning up in gyms, locker rooms and day cares.

Up until now, oral antibiotics were the main concern with drug-resistant bacteria. Now that over-the-counter creams are in question, doctors say keep it simple when it comes to minor cuts and scrapes.

"For a typical cut, scratch, scrape; soap and water and a Band-Aid is probably the most important treatment," Weissman said.

Like any concerned mom, Ramani says she'll still use the ointment.

"I just feel when you hear antibiotic you think it's going to get rid of that little bit of infection that could be caused," she said.

But doctors say it's probably best to save antibiotics for more serious infections.

Doctors say look for redness, tenderness and fever as signs of infection.

CBS News