Dermatologist Warns Against Excess Use of OTC Antibiotic Creams

Do you get cuts and scrapes and automatically reach for one of the Poly/Neo/Baci ointment tubes in your drawer or medicine cabinet? You may be putting yourself at an increased risk for infections and allergic reactions of the skin, warns Dr. Tim Rosio, a Stanford trained board certified Dermatologist in El Dorado Hills and Auburn, CA. Dr. Rosio notes that most clean wounds benefit more from Vaseline or other non-antibiotic ointments for faster healing. In addiction, more severe strains of bacteria such as MRSA are often resistant against those ingredients, and this can encourage their growth and spread. Furthermore, you can trigger your skin to become allergic to ingredients such as Neomycin in these preparations. So Dr. Rosio advises people to clean their wound when possible with a good antiseptic wash or soap and water, pat dry, and apply Vaseline or Aquaphor like coatings, followed by a non-stick bandage. See your Dermatologist for more severe, contaminated wounds, those that are healing slower, or suspicious due to increased swelling, redness or pain. You can read more about how MRSA is affecting children on our blog. Dr. Rosio also talks about skin health on youtube.

Kids Hospitalized with Staph Infections has Doubled, but Dr. Tim Rosio Says it’s Avoidable

Skin specialist Dr. Tim Rosio notes that children are being hospitalized twice as often for serious skin infections, as reported in the New York Times (8/11 Blog) and by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ). Yet most of the children could have been treated by their dermatologist in a medical office visit, preventing worsening infections and making hospitalization unnecessary. Most of these infections are referred to as MRSA, which are Staph bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics.  Rapid diagnosis and action are the initial steps. I treat these infections early, perform a minor surgical drainage, and select antibiotics more likely to be effective in MRSA, said Stanford trained dermatologist Dr. Rosio, who is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. Often the family or the general physician waits to take immediate action or perhaps the child only sees ‘extenders’ until the ‘pimple’ progresses to a full blown abscess. The child is then taken to an urgent care or Emergency Room and is admitted. Thus, skin infections have become the 7th most frequent child hospitalization cause, versus 13^th about ten years ago. If you see redness, swelling, liquid or pus under the skin, or soreness, see your dermatologist or find one right away. You do not need a referral with regular insurances, unless you have an HMO. “We can reverse this dangerous trend rapidly by early dermatologic recognition and care,” says Dr. Rosio.

About Dr. Rosio: Dr. Tim Rosio is a board certified Dermatologist member of the AAD, and director of AnewSKIN Dermatology with offices in the Sacramento area in El Dorado Hills, and Auburn. Read more at www.AnewSKIN.info, AnewSKIN’s Blog, and our YouTube channel.