Burow's solution, or
aluminum acetate solution, is effective in inhibiting various microorganisms including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that are commonly observed in chronic
suppurative otitis media. It takes several days to prepare
Burow's solution using
aluminum sulfate, and the
pharmaceutical properties of the
solution are not fully understood. In this study, the effect of storage (5 months) of
Burow's solution prepared according to the Teine-Keijin Hospital manual on its
pharmaceutical properties and antibacterial activities was examined. We also attempted to develop a rapid preparation method of
aluminum acetate (or 1.7%
aluminum)
solution using two commercially available compounds of
aluminum acetate basic (Al(2)O(CH(3)CO(2))(4), Al(
OH)(CH(3)CO(2))(2)). The properties of
Burow's solution, pH, osmolarity and antibacterial activity, were the same among different preparations and its storage for 5 months at 4 degrees C had no effect on these properties. The antibacterial potency of
Burow's solution was dependent on
aluminum concentration and its antibacterial potency against S. aureus and several MRSA strains was of the same magnitude. In a rapid preparation,
aluminum acetate basic was mixed with appropriate amounts of
tartaric acid and
acetic acid, and the
suspension was boiled for 2-2.5 hr until dissolved. The rapidly prepared
aluminum acetate solution showed the same
pharmaceutical properties and antibacterial activities as those of
Burow's solution. The newly developed preparation method for
aluminum acetate solution is expected to be convenient and feasible for hospital treatment of chronic
suppurative otitis media.