It is impossible to insure yourself against burns: boiling water, steam, sun rays, chemicals - all this can cause thermal damage to the skin and tissues located deeper. It is not easy to treat such damage, since protein is destroyed - the basis of organic tissues. Levomekol for burns is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs, but is it really good?
Material Content:
The composition of the drug
“Levomekol” was developed by the Kharkov Pharmaceutical Institute back in the 70s of the last century and to this day is in great demand among the population. Ointment is prescribed for various diseases and skin lesions. It was developed as an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial agent that stimulates regenerative processes.
The healing properties are provided by the unique composition of the drug: there are no additional unnecessary components and preservatives in it, and all components are equally active and have an effect in the complex.
What is part of Levomekol?
Two substances:
- methyluracil (otherwise - dioxomethyltetrahydropyrimidine) 40 mg / g, which promotes tissue regeneration and has the ability to improve tissue trophism;
- Chloramphenicol (chloramphenicol) 7.5 mg / g is an antibiotic with a bacteriostatic effect, which is effective against gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms, as well as some viruses and their strains.
In addition to improving regenerative processes, enhancing cell growth, methyluracil also has a stimulating effect on the hematopoiesis system.Chloramphenicol has the ability to penetrate deeply into tissues without causing cellular damage, even with complications caused by necrosis and in the presence of purulent masses.
When treating wounds with Levomekol, a kind of tissue preservation takes place, which prevents the inflammatory process from progressing for many hours (up to two days). These properties make it possible to successfully use the combined “Levomekol” ointment in combustology (burn medicine).
Instructions for use of Levomekol for burns
"Levomekol" is applied topically, externally. It is effective for burns with boiling water and steam, helps against sunburn or skin lesions of a chemical etiology. The water base of the drug provides easy penetration into tissues and rapid distribution within them.
Thermal burns can be of varying severity:
- a flame burn usually has a large area of damage and, mainly, 2 degree;
- burns with fluids are often characterized by relatively small areas of damage, but such wounds are quite deep (2–3 degrees);
- steam burns are shallow, but usually cover a significant area of the skin.
Sunburns are rarely harder than 1 degree, but are characterized by the fact that they can be very extensive. The fourth degree burns are recognized as the most severe, in which carbonization of all layers of the skin, muscles and bone tissue occurs.
“Levomekol” in case of burns helps to destroy and stop the reproduction of microorganisms that can penetrate the wound, stimulates the healing process and activates local immunity.
An ointment is used for external use, applying to gauze dressings, which are then applied to the treated wound. Dressings are changed regularly up to 5 times a day.
During pregnancy and lactation
During pregnancy, Levomekol can be used topically for healing burn wounds. With lactation, the use of the drug is also not prohibited.
Contraindications and side effects
The main contraindication to the use of Levomekol in case of burn wounds is its individual component intolerance: an allergy to methyluracil or chloramphenicol. Side effects in this case are manifested by hypersensitivity: the appearance of skin rashes, burning and itching in the area of the treated skin area. Do not use the drug for children under three years of age.
Analogues of a regenerating ointment
Levomekol has an almost identical analogue, the development of which was carried out in parallel with this drug - this is Levosin ointment. However, Levosin has a wider composition: in addition to methylurlacil and chloramphenicol, it contains sulfadimethoxine (an antimicrobial substance) and trimecaine, which has an analgesic property.
In addition, such external agents as are successfully used for healing burns:
- Vishnevsky liniment, which includes birch tar and xeroform;
- "D-panthenol" (ointment, cream), "Dexopanthenol" and "Bepanten" with the active component dexopanthenol;
- “Rescuer” balm based on vegetable oils (sea buckthorn, olive, calendula and others);
- "Dermazin" cream with silver ions;
- "Baneocin" (powder, cream) with neomycin and zinc;
- "Actovegin" ointment, which contains deproteinized hemoderivative and other drugs.
All of these tools have undeniable advantages over traditional medicine (vegetable oil, soap, potatoes, etc.), so at least one of them should always be at hand.
Which is better: Levomekol ointment or Panthenol?
Many people doubt which burn medication is best kept in a medicine cabinet: Levomekol or Panthenol? Both agents are equally successfully used for the regeneration and disinfection of wounds. However, there is a difference in their composition and methods of application.
“Panthenol” has several forms of release: ointment, cream, but the most demanded from burns aerosol and skin foam “Panthenol”.The drug is applied immediately after receiving damage to the skin. Then spraying is repeated several times a day. There is no need to cover the wound with dressings.
“Levomekol” and “Panthenol” have a different composition, but their mechanism of action for burns is similar: relieving inflammation and accelerating wound healing. But at the same time, Levomekol has a tangible advantage: antibacterial effect. With extensive skin lesions and with the manifestation of burn complications, self-medication is unacceptable: only a specialist, assessing the severity of the burn, should prescribe the drug and its course of use.
