Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Peter Fortin on 30/09/2011 21:30:02

Title: Do antibiotics accelerate wound healing?
Post by: Peter Fortin on 30/09/2011 21:30:02

Peter Fortin  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
A week ago, I had a small cut on the back of my arm and I decided to put a band aid with Neosporin on  ½ of the cut and I left the other half untreated. After only a few days I could see a remarkable difference. What is it that makes the treated half of my wound heal so much faster?

What do you think?

Title: Do antibiotics accelerate wound healing?
Post by: chris on 01/10/2011 09:23:04

Antibiotics will certainly speed up wound healing if infection was formerly present, because bacteria cause inflammation and secrete tissue-degrading enzymes that prevent the wound knitting together.

However, there is one exception where having an infection in a wound is actually a blessing rather than a curse:

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/articles/article/angel-glow/

Chris

Title: Do antibiotics accelerate wound healing?
Post by: CliffordK on 01/10/2011 21:43:57

Great article about glowing bacteria, and a sign that there are many things that should not be forgotten about the past.

As far as the original question, I believe there are indications that dressing a superficial wound will accelerate its healing by holding the skin together, and retaining moisture.  You can may also receive some benefit from the use of non-medicated petroleum jellies.

Deep wounds, or wounds on the face that might cause cosmetic damage may require stitches, or physician care.

Title: Re: Do antibiotics accelerate wound healing?
Post by: briancarlos on 13/10/2015 09:06:34

Hi friends. Wound care teaching is essential nowadays and everyone should be aware of giving proper wound care, especially to their families. My kids have experienced having skin infection caused by wounds, especially staphy. I tried applying different treatments to them but none of them seem to be effective. I asked our doctor for the right medicine until he recommended Fucidin®.Within just a few days, it got healed! Fusidic acid / Fusidate sodium (Fucidin®) provides full force against wound infection that targets Staphy. To know more about proper wound care, visit this page: notostaphy.com

Title: Re: Do antibiotics accelerate wound healing?
Post by: RDscience on 13/10/2015 11:31:47

Hmm - there's a frightfully strong smell of spam all of a sudden... perhaps the gratuitous link at the end of the previous post has something to do with it. Unfortunately it's been caught in the spam filter and turned into a non-functional link; still stinks though...

Title: Re: Do antibiotics accelerate wound healing?
Post by: CallMePaul on 12/11/2015 11:10:38

Peter, the better healing might have been due to the band aid and not the antibiotics. Otherwise healthy people shouldn't need antibiotics for uncomplicated small cuts. Just protect them (like with a bandage). You'll just end up generating resistant bacteria.