Prevents and treats skin infections in people with severe burns.
Brand Names:
Sulfamylon
Contraindications:
You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to mafenide. Make sure your doctor knows if you have had an allergic reaction to sulfites or a "sulfa" drug (sulfonamide antibiotic). These drugs include silver sulfadiazine, sulfacetamide, sulfisoxazole, Bactrim®, Septra®, Silvadene® Cream, and Thermazene® Cream.
Uses:
Cream, Packet
Your doctor will tell you how much of this medicine to use and how often. Do not use more medicine or use it more often than your doctor tells you to.
This medicine is for use on the skin only. Do not swallow the medicine. This medicine should never be injected.
If you need to apply this medicine yourself, your health caregiver will teach you how to use it. Make sure you understand all the instructions before using this medicine yourself.
Before applying the cream, clean the burn wound and remove any dead skin. Taking a bath or shower every day will also help to keep your burn wound clean. Clean your burn wound at least once every day while you are using the cream
Wear a sterile glove on your hand while you apply the cream to your burn wound. Apply a thin layer of the cream over the entire burned area.
Keep your burn wound completely covered with the cream at all times. Put on more cream if some rubs off on your clothing or comes off while you are bathing. Do not cover the treated area with a bandage unless your doctor has told you it is okay.
You must mix the powder for solution with a special liquid before you can use it. Always use clean utensils and work on a clean surface when mixing the powder with the liquid. The powder comes in a packet. Mix all of the powder from the packet with the liquid. Keep mixing until all of the powder is dissolved. After it is mixed, this is a liquid medicine
Your burn wound or skin graft will be covered with gauze (a "dressing"). The gauze will be kept wet with the liquid medicine all the time. New liquid medicine might need to be put on the gauze every 4 to 8 hours. Your health caregiver can tell you about the details of your specific treatment.
Storage:
Store the cream or packet of powder at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light.
After the powder has been mixed with the liquid, store the liquid medicine at room temperature, away from heat and direct light. An unopened container of liquid medicine can be stored for up to 28 days. An opened container of liquid medicine must be used within 48 hours. After 48 hours, throw away any leftover liquid medicine.
Ask your pharmacist, doctor, or health caregiver about the best way to dispose of any outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Keep all medicine away from children and never share your medicine with anyone.
Special precautions:
Before taking, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any medications. tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. tell your doctor if you have or have ever had heart failure or liver disease. tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking, call your doctor
You should not use any other skin products on your burn wound unless your doctor has told you to.
Warnings:
Make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or breast feeding, or if you have asthma, kidney disease, or lung disease. Make sure your doctor knows if you have an enzyme problem called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD). This is more common in African-American men.
If your symptoms do not improve or if they get worse, call your doctor.
Side Effects:
Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Allergic reaction: Itching or hives, swelling in your face or hands, swelling or tingling in your mouth or throat, chest tightness, trouble breathing.
Fast, slow, or deep breathing, trouble breathing, or other change in breathing.
Skin pain, blisters, swelling, rash, itching, bleeding, peeling, or oozing.