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I am wondering if Polysporin (which according to the website contains Polymyxin B (as sulfate), 500 units bacitracin zinc, 0.25 mg gramicidin and 50 mg lidocaine) is an antibiotic agent that is preferable to regular or antibiotic soaps.

Some highly regarded sources such as the Mayo Clinic article titled Cuts and scrapes: First aid suggest that supplementing soap with antibiotics such as Polysporin is necessary (or at least appropriate), i.e.:

... Soap can irritate the wound, so try to keep it out of the actual wound. ...

and

... After you clean the wound, apply a thin layer of an antibiotic cream or ointment such as Neosporin or Polysporin to help keep the surface moist. The products don't make the wound heal faster, but they can discourage infection and help your body's natural healing process. ...

There are a number of websites (e.g. answer-health.co, firstaid.about.com, familydoctor.org) that state or suggest that just soap and water is adequate for most first-aid wounds.

Does Polysporin have anti-bacterial or other properties that are not found in soap, which properties would make Polysporin preferable to soap for treating or preventing infections of minor skin abrasions and cuts?

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Is soap supposed to do either of those things? – picakhu May 8 '11 at 14:32
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In one word: No. Use a simple alcohol-based disinfectant. Yes, it burns, you'll get over it. The site you linked to provides a good example that something which comes from a seemingly respectable source can still be utter bullshit (excuse my language). Topic application of antibiotics has (apart from possibly sensibilizing and triggering an anaphylactic reaction in the worst case), a single effect: promoting antibiotic resistances. Antibiotics should be used sensibly, when necessary, and in doses that are high enough to be effective, never any different. – dm.skt May 9 '11 at 15:19
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@dm.skt: I think the Mayo Clinic article is refering to topical bactericides such as triclosan or chlorhexidine rather than oral antibiotics. – rwong May 10 '11 at 7:22
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@rwong: They say "apply a thin layer of an antibiotic cream or ointment such as Neosporin [...] keep the surface moist". That is exactly what you don't want to do. Bacitracin is probably no problem because it's of little use otherwise, but you cannot say the same about streptomycin, which is a reserve- and combination-treatment for a number of rather uncomfortable diseases, such as tuberculosis, pseudomonas and some forms of endocarditis, meningitis, and pneumonitis, and which may induce cross-resistances for the entire aminoglycosid group. Antibiotics are no toys, and no candy. – dm.skt May 10 '11 at 8:43
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You are very limited in the number of antibiotics that you have available, there is a constant "war" between new agents and bacteria developing resistances. That is why they must be used sensibly. Antibiotics are chemical weapons, only on a much smaller scale. You use them to kill. Not for fun, and not to keep the surface moist. – dm.skt May 10 '11 at 8:50
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