title: Antimicrobial prophylaxis in dermatology.
abstract: Few circumstances in dermatology warrant antimicrobial prophylaxis. In cutaneous surgery postoperative infections are too infrequent and insufficiently severe to justify preventive antibiotics, except rarely. Petrolatum is as effective as, and cheaper than, topical antibiotic ointment to cover surgical wounds. In patients with numerous staphylococcal skin infections, oral clindamycin 150 mg every day for 3 months safely reduces further episodes. For recurrent cellulitis, oral penicillin or erythromycin 250 mg twice daily or monthly intramuscular benzathine penicillin decreases subsequent attacks. In patients with frequent episodes of genital or labial herpes simplex an antiviral agent such as valacyclovir 500 mg to 1 g every day is effective as a suppressant.
authors.affiliation: Puget Sound VA Medical Center and University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98108, USA.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Hirschmann
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003880:Dermatology / Q000639:trends*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents