Muro 128® Ointment 5%

GoodRx

Sodium Chloride 5% · ophthalmic ointment

Dry Eye/OSD

Approved uses

Corneal edema

1/4 inch ribbon inside the lower lid every 3 or 4 hours

FDA label, Indications and Usage and Directions; Agrawal S, Gupta S, Gupta N, Vanathi M, Tandon R. Efficacy of hypertonic saline in treatment of corneal edema: a randomized crossover trial. Med J Armed Forces India, vol 80, issue 5, pages 522-527, epub 2022 Aug 16, doi 10.1016/j.mjafi.2022.06.014

OFF-LABELNot in the FDA label for this product

Recurrent corneal erosion, prophylaxis after the epithelium has healed

1/4 inch inside the lower lid at bedtime; the prophylaxis trial used once-nightly ointment, and the 1/4 inch amount is the labeled application

RCT · n=117 · no benefit

Common practice that controlled data do not support: a randomized trial in 117 patients found no difference in prophylaxis failure between once-nightly hypertonic saline ointment and paraffin ointment (p=0.17), which the authors took to suggest both act only as lubricants. A 2012 Cochrane review found no difference in objective signs of recurrence versus tetracycline or lubricating ointment in an included trial of 26 participants, and a 2021 Cornea review of 16 articles concluded the drug is not beneficial in recurrent corneal erosion.

Hykin PG, Foss AE, Pavesio C, Dart JK. The natural history and management of recurrent corneal erosion: a prospective randomised trial. Eye (Lond) 1994;8(Pt 1):35-40, doi 10.1038/eye.1994.6; Watson SL, Lee MH, Barker NH. Interventions for recurrent corneal erosions. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012;(9):CD001861, doi 10.1002/14651858.CD001861.pub3; Chow SC, Chan JC. Review on the use of topical ocular hypertonic saline in corneal edema. Cornea 2021;40(4):533-539, doi 10.1097/ICO.0000000000002652

Contraindications

Do not use except under the advice and supervision of a doctor

Available Forms

Ophthalmic ointment, 3.5 g tube, carton of two 3.5 g tubes, 1 g sample tube

Mechanism of Action

Hyperosmotic agent: raises tonicity at the ocular surface above that of the corneal stroma, drawing fluid out of the edematous cornea and reducing corneal thickness. The ointment vehicle holds that salt load against the surface longer than a drop does, and the osmotic effect is temporary rather than curative.

Warnings & Precautions

Persistent corneal edema: Reassess if the condition worsens or persists beyond 72 hours.
Eye pain or vision change: Discontinue and evaluate; continued redness or irritation is also a stop-use criterion.
Container contamination: Do not touch the tube tip to any surface; replace the cap after use.

Common Side Effects

Ocular: Transient burning and irritation on instillation; the label gives no frequency.
Ointment tolerability: Stickiness, stinging, blurring and foreign body sensation were more frequent with a 6% ointment than with 5% drops in a 40-eye randomized crossover trial.
Class safety: No serious complications reported with topical ocular hypertonic saline in a 2021 Cornea review of 16 articles.

Pregnancy & Lactation

Limited data; potential risks to the fetus not well established

Pediatric Use

No studies