While antiseptics incite minor changes in the skin microbiome, topical antibiotics spur an immediate, days-long shift in the bacterial composition of the skin, according to a study published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
For the study, researchers examined the impact of topical antiseptics and antibiotics on the microbiota population on the skin of hairless mice. Both topical medications changed the bacterial population of the skin. However, the influence of topical antibiotics lasted days, while the influence of antiseptics was relatively short-lived.
Researchers also found both topical antibiotics and antiseptics removed bacteria from the skin that compete against pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus, which could open the door for the bacterial colonization of the pathogen.
"This gives us a better understanding of how topical antimicrobials affect the skin microbiome and what kind of impact their disturbance can have in the context of pathogenic colonization," said study author Elizabeth Grice, PhD, an assistant professor of dermatology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. "This helps us anticipate their potential effects."
More articles on infection control:
MRSA screening not linked to prolonged antibiotic use, study finds
Pink eye patients often prescribed unnecessary antibiotics, study finds
1 dead in New York City Legionnaires' outbreak