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Steroidal antibiotic

Fusidic acid

Brand names: Fucidin, Fucibet (with steroid)

Fusidic acid (and its salt sodium fusidate) is a narrow-spectrum antibiotic active mainly against staphylococci, used topically for skin and eye infections and systemically for certain staphylococcal infections, often as part of combination therapy.

Dosing — being independently re-sourced

ClinCalc Pro is rebuilding its dose data from primary open sources — the manufacturer SmPC (eMC), the WHO Model Formulary and other official references — under clinician review. This drug's structured dose is not yet published here. Confirm all doses against the product SmPC and your local formulary before prescribing.

Clinical monograph

How it works

It inhibits bacterial protein synthesis by binding elongation factor G and preventing its release from the ribosome, halting the translocation step of peptide chain elongation.

Prescribing in practice

  • Resistance can emerge rapidly, so for systemic staphylococcal infection it is generally combined with another antistaphylococcal agent rather than used alone.
  • Systemic use can cause hepatic dysfunction and jaundice, and may interact with statins to increase the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis.
  • Reserve topical use for short, defined courses to limit resistance, in line with the SPC and current prescribing references.

Monitoring

With systemic therapy monitor liver function tests, particularly with prolonged or higher-intensity treatment and in patients with hepatic impairment.

Counselling the patient

  • Complete the prescribed course and use topical preparations only for the short period advised.
  • Report yellowing of the skin or eyes, or unexplained muscle pain or weakness, promptly.
  • Tell your prescriber if you take a statin, as the combination may need to be avoided.

Evidence & guidelines

UK guidance supports combination therapy to reduce resistance when fusidic acid is used systemically against staphylococci, and the MHRA has highlighted the interaction with statins.

Reference: MHRA Drug Safety Update (statin interaction); Drug verified in RxNorm (NLM); confirm dosing against the manufacturer SPC (eMC). Verify against your local formulary and current prescribing references before prescribing. Monograph status: clinician-reviewed (2026-07-04).

Related

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

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