acetic acid (medical use) acetic acid (medical use) acetic acid, which at low concentrations is known as vinegar, is an acid used to treat a number of conditions. acetic acidchemical formula of acetic acidclinical datapronunciationa-see-tik trade namesacetasol, vasotate, domeboro otic, othersother namesvinegarahfs/drugs.commonographlicense data us dailymed: acetic_acid routes ofadministrationear drops, irrigation, by mouthatc codes02aa10 (who) legal statuslegal status us: ℞-only / otc identifiers iupac name acetic acid cas number64-19-7pubchem cid176drugbankdb03166chemspider171uniiq40q9n063pkeggd00010c00033chebichebi:15366chemblchembl539pdb ligandacy (pdbe, rcsb pdb)chemical and physical dataformulac2h4o2molar mass60.052 g·mol−13d model (jsmol)interactive image smiles cc(=o)o inchi inchi=1s/c2h4o2/c1-2(3)4/h1h3,(h,3,4)key:qtbsbxvteameqo-uhfffaoysa-n definition and medical uses as an eardrop it is used to treat infections of the ear canal. it may be used with an ear wick. as a liquid it is used to flush the bladder in those who have a urinary catheter in an attempt to prevent infection or blockage. as a gel it may be used to adjust the ph of the vagina. it may also be applied to the cervix to help detect cervical cancer during screening. side effects may include burning at the site of application. allergic reactions may rarely occur. use is not recommended in the ear in people who have a hole in the eardrum. it works against both bacterial and fungal causes of external ear infections. history and culture acetic acid has been used medically since the time of ancient egypt. it is on the world health organization's list of essential medicines. acetic acid is more commonly used for external ear infections in the developing world than the developed.