Risk of Infection from Application of Two Types of Pharmaceutical Creams

  • Mostafa Essam Eissa HikmaPharma for Pharmaceutical Industry
Keywords: multi-dose medicinal products, topical creams, simulation study, preservative efficacy test, dose-response model

Abstract

Introduction: Infection risk from the misuse of multi-dose medicinal products is a seriousproblem which affects final consumer health and may impact on thereputation of pharmaceutical companies adversely.

Objectives:The current study aimed to trace the most important contributing factors in the infection transfer through the application of two selected types of medicinal topical creamsfor the treatment of skin disease conditions.

Methods: One type of the product that was subjected to the present study is anti-psoriatic while the other is steroidal anti-inflammatory antimicrobial creams that were packed in Aluminum tubes with orifice diameter of 0.173 cm2, approximately. The simulation study – conducted on these topical creams - integrated preservative efficacy test (PET) with dose-response model of infection to demonstrate the probability of infection that could occur due to unintentional transmission of pathogenic bacteria to damaged or injured skin of the patient.

Results:The studied model showed that although both products possessed antimicrobial power activity against standard strain microorganisms, yet the critical factor is the hygienic control of hands and fingers during application of the cream on the affected area.

Conclusion:The medicinal products itself were little affected by microbial contamination when they were enclosed in their primary packaging materials as was observed by the in-use study. However, the most important part was that portion of the product that was transferred to the patient skin. From the simulation study, it was expected that the situation could be aggravated if the hyiegenic practice was underestimated by hospital staff. 

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Published
2017-12-17
Section
Articles