Fabrizio Spada, Tanya M Barnes, Kerryn A Greive Research & Development, Ego Pharmaceuticals, Braeside, Victoria, AustraliaCorrespondence: Fabrizio SpadaEgo Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, 21-31 Malcolm Road, Braeside, Victoria 3195, AustraliaTel +61 39 586 8874Fax +61 39 580 7647Email [email protected]: Increased skin colonization by Staphylococcus aureus is associated with atopic eczema (AE) severity.Reduction of S.
aureus levels on the skin results in an improvement in the clinical condition.Methods: The antimicrobial activity of topical products including a bath oil, cream, and wash combining antiseptics and emollients (A+E) was compared to products containing emollients only.The preference of patients with AE for A+E cream or emollient only cream to relieve symptoms of itching, erythema, and inflammation when applied three times daily for 10 Dual Inlet 4 Way Water Valve days is evaluated.Repeat insult patch testing of the products is also conducted.
Results: A significant reduction in microbial counts was found following use of A+E bath oil (4.09±0.32 vs 6.20±0.
24 log10 cfu/mL S.aureus, P<0.001), A+E cream (5.50±0.
63 vs 5.94±0.72 log10 Washer Dryer cfu/foot S.aureus, P=0.
002), and A+E wash (2.71±0.48 vs 3.57±0.
31 log10 cfu/mL Escherichia coli, P<0.001) compared to the emollient only products.The A+E cream was preferred to the emollient only cream (P=0.004) by patients with AE.
All three tested formulations were found to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to the skin.Conclusion: The bath oil, cream, and wash containing antiseptics and emollients decrease the level of bacteria on the skin, including S.aureus, compared to emollient only products.Patients with AE preferred the A+E cream compared to the emollient only cream to relieve symptoms of itching, erythema, and inflammation.
The choice of formulation allows clinicians and patients to choose a suitable product for the short-term treatment of eczema flare-ups caused by bacterial infections.Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, atopic eczema, atopic dermatitis, benzalkonium chloride, triclosan, antimicrobial, antiseptic, emollient.