Bactroban is a prescription medication used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections. It is available in an ointment or a cream that is applied to the skin, as well as an ointment that is applied inside the nose. The nasal form is primarily used to prevent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria from spreading. Side effects can include nausea, headache, and runny nose.
What Is Bactroban?Bactroban® (mupirocin) is an antibiotic. It comes in the form of a nasal ointment, a skin cream, and a skin ointment.
The skin cream and ointment are used to treat various skin infections. The nasal ointment is used to clear the nasal passages of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria in healthcare workers and adult patients during MRSA outbreaks in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutional settings.
Some people naturally carry the bacteria in their noses (often without any symptoms), and this may be a source for spreading MRSA.