What question did this study set out to answer?

Determine whether topical erythromycin therapy causes persistent increases in the density or prevalence of erythromycin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci or alters total aerobic cutaneous bacterial populations.

November 1, 1996Antimicrobial Agents and ChemotherapyOpen Access

Effects of topical erythromycin on ecology of aerobic cutaneous bacterial flora

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Authors

BVBenjamin R. VowelsUniversity of Leeds DFDavid S. FeingoldTufts University CSC SloughfyUniversity of Pennsylvania

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Implication

Controlled trial demonstrates transient increases in resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci following topical erythromycin treatment, indicating that cutaneous microbial resistance normalizes...

Key Points

Determine whether topical erythromycin therapy causes persistent increases in the density or prevalence of erythromycin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci or alters total aerobic cutaneous bacterial populations.
Assigned 225 subjects to apply topical 2% erythromycin or vehicle to the forehead twice daily for 6 weeks.
Cultured bacterial samples from the forehead, anterior nares, and back at baseline, week 6, week 9, and week 12, evaluating resistance against 16 antibiotics.
At week 6, erythromycin-resistant staphylococcal prevalence rose to nearly 100% on the forehead and nose (densities 73% and 62%) and 78% on the back (density 42%), driven predominantly by the ermC gene.
Total aerobic microbial density remained unchanged, with cross-resistance emerging only to clindamycin and no proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus, gram-negative rods, or yeasts.
Resistant staphylococcal prevalence and density significantly declined within 3 weeks post-treatment and fully returned to baseline levels by 6 weeks post-treatment, whereas vehicle controls showed no changes.

Cite This Study

Vowels et al. (1996) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a7cf7ea8dd8283b4bf6be8b https://doi.org/10.1128/aac.40.11.2598

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Implication

Controlled trial demonstrates transient increases in resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci following topical erythromycin treatment, indicating that cutaneous microbial resistance normalizes...

Effects of topical erythromycin on ecology of aerobic cutaneous bacterial flora

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Effects of topical erythromycin on ecology of aerobic cutaneous bacterial flora

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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