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A double‐blind study to assess the effectiveness of mupirocin in the treatment of infected eczema
Author(s) -
Lever L.R.,
Leigh D.A.,
Wilkinson J.D.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1985.tb12999.x
Subject(s) - mupirocin , dermatology , medicine , library science , computer science , methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus , biology , bacteria , genetics , staphylococcus aureus
Forty patients with infected eczema were allocated at random to treatment with mupirocin ointment or placebo. Treatment was also continued with topical steroid. Bacteriological and clinical assessments were made before and after 2 weeks treatment and after a 2‐week follow‐up period of treatment with topical steroid alone. Clinical improvement during the treatment period followed by relapse in the follow‐up period was common with no obvious difference between the mupirocin and placebo‐treated groups. Mupirocin ointment appeared effective in eliminating Staphylococcus aureus from the infected eczema and from the anterior nares but was not associated with any difference in the rate of improvement or subsequent relapse. Mupirocin appears to be an effective antibacterial agent, but infection is only one factor involved in exacerbation of constitutional eczema and management must take account of this.