Background: Secondary skin infection with Staphylococcus aureus is a significant problem in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients.
Objective: This study evaluated antimicrobial resistance patterns of S aureus isolates from skin lesions in AD patients and empiric antimicrobial prescribing patterns.
Methods: Resistance patterns from positive skin cultures obtained from AD patients in the Allergy/Immunology clinic from May 1, 2006, to December 31, 2008, were compared with all outpatient wound cultures over the same period.
Results: Fifty-nine cultures were obtained from 38 AD patients. S aureus was the most common pathogen cultured from AD patients (53/59 cultures). S aureus resistance to clindamycin and methicillin differed significantly between the study group and the outpatient reference population (37.7% vs 9.4% and 45.3% vs 76.4%). Clindamycin was the most commonly prescribed antimicrobial (59%). Overall, 31.4% of organisms showed resistance to the antimicrobial prescribed.
Conclusions: Susceptibility profiles of S aureus isolates from AD patients vary significantly from that of the general population.