BP Cleansing Wash
Generic name:sodium sulfacetamide and sulfur
Dosage form: topical liquid
Drug class:Topical antibiotics
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Aug 23, 2021.
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DESCRIPTION: Sodium sulfacetamide is a sulfonamide with antibacterial activity. Sulfur acts as a keratolytic agent. Chemically sodium sulfacetamide is N-[(4-aminophenyl)sulfonyl]-acetamide, monosodium salt, monohydrate. The structural formula is:
Each mL of Sodium Sulfacetamide 10% and Sulfur 4% contains 100 mg of sodium sulfacetamide and 40 mg of sulfur in an emulsion base containing urea 10%, butylated hydroxytoluene, cetyl alcohol, disodium EDTA, disodium oleamido MEA sulfosuccinate, glyceryl stearate and PEG 100 stearate, magnesium aluminum silicate, methylparaben, propylparaben, purified water, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, sodium thiosulfate, stearyl alcohol, white petrolatum and xanthan gum.
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY: The most widely accepted mechanism of action of sulfonamides is the Woods-Fildes theory, which is based on the fact that sulfonamides act as competitive antagonists to para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), an essential component for bacterial growth. While absorption through intact skin has not been determined, sodium sulfacetamide is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract when taken orally and excreted in the urine, largely unchanged. The biological half-life has variously been reported as 7 to 12.8 hours. The exact mode of action of sulfur in the treatment of acne is unknown, but it has been reported that it inhibits the growth of Propionibacterium acnes and the formation of free fatty acids.
INDICATIONS: BP Cleansing Wash is indicated in the topical control of acne vulgaris, acne rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: BP Cleansing Wash is contraindicated for use by patients having known hypersensitiv...