Aureomycin borate in external ocular conditions.

IN seventeen cases of external ocular conditions treated with aureomycin borate, only eye drops were used, and in no case was the substance given orally. All were admitted to hospital and their conditions estimated daily by a numerical code. Routine bacteriological examinations were carried out, any organisms found being tested for sensitivity to penicillin and aureomycin. Since it was first described by Duggar (1948), aureomycin has been used successfully in an impressively large number of infections. It has been reported to be of value in many ocular conditions, used both locally and orally, but a critical assessment cannot be made as it has not been sufficiently widely used. Aureomycin is usually prescribed as the hydrochloride salt for oral use; this preparation is suitable for intra muscular injection although it is sometimes irritant, and it has also been used intravenously without untoward effect. The hydrochloride salt, however, is too irritant to be used locally in the conjunctival sac; for this purpose a borate salt in 0.5 per cent. solution, or aureomycin ethylene diamine in 1.25 per cent. solution, have been employed. According to Bellows, Richardson, and Farmer (1950) these concentrations do not injure healthy corneal epithelium nor do they delay epithelial healing when used threeor four-hourly, although half-hourly administration is certainly inadvisable. The manufacturers-t, however, state that aureomycin ethylene diamine locally applied may irritate the eye; it is therefore probable that aureomycin borate is the most suitable preparation for local application to the eye. It is supplied in the form of a powder containing: Aureomycin hydrochloride 25 mg. Sodium borate 25 mg. Sodium chloride 625 mg. To this powder is added 5 ml. distilled sterile water to make a 0.5 per cent. solution in saline, with a pH between 7.5 and 7.8. The antibiotic maintains its activity in this form for 48 hours, after which the solution should be discarded. Aureomycin ethylene diamine is not yet available in Great Britain.