The main function of skin, the largest organ of the body, is to protect the body from infection and yet there are times when the skin itself can become infected.¹ Any breach in the skin, even something as minor as a cut or graze, can expose the body to bacterial invasion.²

Skin infections caused by bacteria can range from mild to serious.¹ Mild cases can be treated with fusidic acid.³

Common examples of bacterial skin infection include:

• Abscesses / Boils
These are normally tender, reddish, firm or fluctuant masses of walled off pussy material, arising from hair follicles.⁴

• Carbuncles
When more than one abscess or boil are connected to one another with tracts below the skin surface, it forms a larger abscess called a carbuncle.⁴

• Impetigo
If you have children then you may have encountered Impetigo. It’s a common skin infection in children that can easily spread from one child to another.³

• Folliculitis
Typically found in adult men, folliculitis is a bacterial infection of multiple hair follicles and is most often present on the face, scalp or neck.⁴

• Wounds
Infection can develop when a wound is contaminated with dirt and bacteria. Whilst wounds may be painful at first, pain that worsens a day or more after the injury is often the first sign of infection. Infected wounds become red and swollen and may ooze pus. A fever may also develop.⁵

What is the outlook for bacterial skin infection?

Normal, healthy skin presents a natural physical barrier to bacterial invasion² but when there’s a break in the skin, bacterial infection can occur.² Most types of bacterial skin infections respond well to medications such as topical antibiotics. ² These work to eradicate harmful bacteria from the skin surface.² For a mild bacterial infection, ask your pharmacist about a topical antibiotic from Adcock Ingram.

References: 1. Healthline [Online] https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-infection. Accessed February 2020. 2. Leyden JJ. The Role of Topical Antibiotics in Dermatologic Practice [online] 25 June 2003 [cited March 2020]; Available from URL: https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/457542_6. 3. Koning S, Verhagen AP, van Suijlekom-Smit LWA, et al. Interventions for Impetigo (Review). The Cochrane Collaboration. The Cochrane library 2009;3:1-75. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2003, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003261. [Online] 2003 Apr 22 [Cited] March 2020. Available at: DOI: 10.1002/14651858 CD003261.pub2. 4. Stulberg DL, Penrod MA, Blatny RA. Common Bacterial Skin Infections. Am Fam Physician 2002;66(1):119-24. 5. Kaji AH. Wounds [online] April 2018 [cited March 2020]; Available from URL: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/injuries-and-poisoning/first-aid/wounds?query=Lacerations#. 202003031019037

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, usually starts in early childhood. Children who come from families with a history of eczema, asthma or hay fever are at greater risk of developing eczema themselves.¹ People with eczema tend to have an over-reactive immune system that when triggered by something outside or inside the body, responds by producing inflammation. It is this inflammation that causes the red and itchy skin symptoms common to eczema.¹

Research has also shown that some people with eczema have a faulty skin barrier. Because the protective skin barrier is impaired, moisture can escape, resulting in a dry and scaly skin. Bacteria can also enter the skin more easily, which can result in skin infections, which is why eczema skin can sometimes appear crusty, weepy or bumpy.¹ The cornerstone of eczema treatment is the daily practice of good skin care: bathing, moisturising, using prescription medications as prescribed, and avoiding triggers.¹ For the skin’s natural barrier to function properly, it is important that there are sufficient oils on the surface of the skin and, equally, that there are sufficient so-called barrier lipids. In the outer layers of the skin. In general, to keep dry and cracked skin soft, high-oil content moisturisers like SBR^® Repair and SBR™ Lipocream may be used.^2,3

Below are some tips which may assist you with the daily management of eczema.

Bathing and Moisturising:⁴

• Take at least one bath or shower every day
• Schedule your bathing and moisturising routine at night, to help your skin better retain moisture
• Bathe or shower in lukewarm water (not hot) for 10 to 15 minutes
• Use a gentle cleanser (not soap)
• Avoid scrubbing your skin with a washcloth or loofah
• Use a high-oil content moisturiser to hydrate the skin and protect the skin barrier
• Moisturise hands every time you wash them, or when they come into contact with water

Avoid Everyday Triggers Where Possible, e.g.¹

• Soaps and fragrances
• Wool and polyester fabric
• Isothiazolinones - an antibacterial that is found in personal care products like baby wipes
• Pollen or pet dander
• Dust mites
• Insect bites
• Long, hot baths or showers
• Excessive scratching or rubbing of the skin
• Second-hand smoke
• Extreme temperatures such as cold, dry air produced by air conditioners

Managing Itchiness:¹

• Reduce the risk of it happening in the first place through a daily bathing and moisturising routine
• Apply moisturisers that replenish the skin barrier consistently and liberally throughout the day
• Use prescription medications as prescribed. Topical corticosteroids can help to control mild itching
• Cotton gloves or cutting finger nails short can help protect the skin during night time scratching

References: 1. National Eczema Association. Eczema Basics for Children brochure [online] 2018 [cited 19 June 2020]; Available from URL: https://nationaleczema.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/EczemaBasicsKids.pdf. Accessed July 2020. 2. SBR^® Repair package leaflet. 3. SBR-Lipocream™ package leaflet. 4. National Eczema Association. Eczema and Bathing [online] [cited 19 June 2020]; Available from URL: https://nationaleczema.org/eczema/treatment/bathing/. Accessed July 2020. 202007011042738

Normally the skin provides very effective protection for the body against infection however there are times when the skin integrity can be compromised through cuts, scrapes or puncture wounds. As a result bacterial skin infection can occur.¹

Bacterial skin infections develop when bacteria enters the body through the hair follicles or through skin breaks. These infections can range in size from a red spot to large patches of the skin surface, and in seriousness from mild and harmless to severe.¹

Some people are at particular risk of developing bacterial skin infections¹:

• People with diabetes, who are likely to have poor circulation and a high level of sugar in their blood, which decreases their ability to fight infections
• People who have limited mobility
• The elderly
• People who have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), AIDS or other immune disorders, or hepatitis
• People undergoing chemotherapy or treatment with other medicines that suppress the immune system

Common bacterial skin infections include¹:

• Carbuncles
• Furuncles
• Impetigo
• Ecthyma
• Folliculitis
• Abscesses
• Wounds

Many types of bacteria can infect the skin yet one of the most common are Staphylococcus.¹ Topical antibiotics play an important role in the treatment of primary bacterial skin infections and can eradicate harmful bacteria from the skin surface.² For a mild bacterial infection, ask your pharmacist about a topical antibiotic from Adcock Ingram.

Ask your pharmacist about the Dermatologists No. 1 choice³ topical antibiotic from Adcock Ingram. It’s the ideal topical antibiotic to eradicate S. aureus in the treatment of bacterial skin infections.⁴

References: 1. Merck Manuals [Online] https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/skin-disorders/bacterial-skin-infections/overview-of-bacterial-skin-infections. Accessed February 2020. 2. Leyden JJ. The Role of Topical Antibiotics in Dermatologic Practice [online] 25 June 2003 [cited March 2020]; Available from URL: https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/457542_6. 3. Impact Rx Data (D6A) January 2020. 4. Rigopoulos D, Larios G. Fusidic acid: a valuable agent for controlling Staphylococcus aureus skin infections. Acta Derm Venereol 2008; Suppl 216: 7–13. 202003031019037