Potent corticosteroid + antibacterial/antifungal Pregnancy: Inadequate evidence of safety in human pregnancy; topical corticosteroids in pregnant animals can cause abnormalities of foetal development including cleft palate and intrauterine growth retardation, so there may be a very small risk of such effects in the human fetus. Breast-feeding: safe use not established — only consider if expected benefit to the mother outweighs the risk to the infant, and do not apply to the breasts.

Betamethasone with clioquinol

Brand names: Betnovate-C

This combination pairs the potent topical corticosteroid betamethasone with the antimicrobial clioquinol for inflammatory skin conditions where bacterial or fungal infection is suspected.

Auto-extracted from the source labelling — not yet independently clinician-verified. These values were distilled from the UK SPC (or the US label where noted) but have not had a clinician sign-off. Confirm against the current SmPC before prescribing.

Adult dose

Dose: A small quantity of cream applied gently to the affected area

Route: Topical

Frequency: Two or three times daily until improvement occurs; improvement may then be maintained by applying once a day, or even less often

Paediatric population: courses should be limited to five days if possible and occlusion should not be used — children may absorb proportionally larger amounts of topical corticosteroids and be more susceptible to systemic adverse effects; the same five-day limit applies to use on the face. Contraindicated for dermatoses in children under 2 years of age, including dermatitis and napkin eruptions. Avoid prolonged use on the face (atrophic changes). If applied to the eyelids, ensure the preparation does not enter the eye (risk of cataract and glaucoma). Careful supervision is needed if used in psoriasis. Long-term continuous or inappropriate use can result in rebound flares after stopping (topical steroid withdrawal syndrome). Source SPC is for Betamethasone valerate/Clioquinol 1 mg/30 mg per g Cream.

Dose auto-extracted from UK Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) via the eMC; US FDA prescribing information (openFDA / DailyMed) — cross-check; US labelling may differ from UK — not yet clinician-verified. Always confirm against the product SmPC and your local formulary before prescribing.

Contraindications

Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients
Rosacea, acne vulgaris, perioral dermatitis
Primary cutaneous viral infections (e.g. herpes simplex, chickenpox)
Primary infected skin lesions caused by fungi (e.g. candidiasis, tinea) or bacteria (e.g. impetigo)
Primary or secondary infections due to yeast
Perianal or genital pruritus
Dermatoses in children under 2 years of age, including dermatitis and napkin eruptions

Side effects

Common: pruritus, local skin burning / skin pain
Very rare: allergic contact dermatitis/dermatitis, erythema, rash, urticaria, pustular psoriasis
Very rare: skin thinning/atrophy, skin wrinkling, dryness, striae, telangiectasias, pigmentation changes, hypertrichosis
Very rare: HPA axis suppression with cushingoid features, delayed weight gain/growth retardation in children, osteoporosis, glaucoma, cataract, hyperglycaemia/glucosuria, hypertension
Very rare: opportunistic infection, local hypersensitivity, application site irritation/pain; blurred vision (frequency not known)

Clinical monograph

How it works

Betamethasone provides anti-inflammatory and vasoconstrictive corticosteroid effects while clioquinol contributes antibacterial and antifungal activity.

Prescribing in practice

Reserve the corticosteroid-antimicrobial combination for short-term use where infection coexists with inflammation, as the potent steroid risks skin atrophy with prolonged use.
Clioquinol stains skin and clothing, and may stain fair hair and nails.
Avoid the face and flexures where possible and step down once the condition settles.

Monitoring

No routine laboratory monitoring is required; review the treated skin for response, atrophy and resolution of infection.

Counselling the patient

It can stain skin, clothing and light-coloured hair or nails.
Apply thinly to affected areas only for the short period advised.
Avoid use on the face or in skin folds unless specifically directed.

Evidence & guidelines

Combined topical corticosteroid and antimicrobial preparations are recommended for short-term use in infected inflammatory dermatoses in line with standard UK practice.

Reference: NICE NG198; BAD; Drug verified in RxNorm (NLM); confirm dosing against the manufacturer SPC (eMC). Verify against your local formulary and current prescribing references before prescribing. The structured dose values shown have been reviewed by a clinician. Monograph status: clinician-reviewed (2026-07-04).

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

Calculators

Pathways