1 May 2026Drugs for external use and antiseptics
Tetracycline, eye ointment
Tetracycline eye-ointment guidance for conjunctivitis, trachoma, and neonatal conjunctivitis prevention.
This guide page is for structured reference only and does not replace a clinician, pharmacist, or emergency review. Dose choice, route choice, interactions, and safety decisions still need professional judgment.
Therapeutic action
Antibacterial.
Indications
- Treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis.
- Treatment of trachoma.
- Prevention of neonatal conjunctivitis.
Forms and strengths
1% ointment, tube.
Dose and duration
Wash the eyes with boiled and cooled water before each application. Use sterile sodium chloride 0.9% for newborns.
Apply tetracycline 1% into the conjunctival sac of both eyes.
- Conjunctivitis: one application 2 times daily for 7 days.
- Trachoma: one application 2 times daily for 6 weeks.
- Prevention of neonatal conjunctivitis: one single application immediately after birth.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not use in patients with hypersensitivity to tetracyclines.
- May cause allergic reactions; stop treatment in the event of serious reaction.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page reproduces the structured reference information for this batch while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections.
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