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Use of bleach baths for the treatment of infected atopic eczema
Author(s) -
Barnes Tanya M,
Greive Kerryn A
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
australasian journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.67
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1440-0960
pISSN - 0004-8380
DOI - 10.1111/ajd.12015
Subject(s) - medicine , bleach , atopic dermatitis , dermatology , staphylococcus aureus , population , antibiotics , microbiology and biotechnology , environmental health , chemistry , organic chemistry , biology , bacteria , genetics
Atopic eczema is one of the most common skin disorders in young children and also affects adults. S taphylococcus aureus infection is the most frequent complication of atopic eczema and is involved in the worsening of the disease. Antibiotic therapy against S . aureus has been an important component of treatment for atopic eczema but there are concerns about antibiotic overuse and increasing bacterial resistance. This has led some clinicians to recommend the use of homemade remedies such as bleach baths as an adjunctive treatment for patients with infected atopic eczema, despite the fact that there have been few published studies in this area. Balancing safety concerns with efficacious treatment is of particular importance in the paediatric population. This review discusses the historical use of bleach in medicine as well as its recent use for atopic eczema. Further, the chemistry and safety of bleach as well as alternative therapies are examined.