Upper respiratory tract infection in household contacts of acne patients.
BACKGROUND
Antibiotic use in acne patients has been associated with an increased risk of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI).


METHODS
This was a retrospective cohort study using the General Practice Research Database of the United Kingdom. All study subjects were identified as sharing a residence with a patient with a diagnosis of acne. Outcome of interest was a URTI.


RESULTS
We identified 98,094 contacts of acne patients. A contact of an acne patient who had a URTI was about 43% more likely to develop a URTI than a contact of an acne patient who did not have a URTI (OR = 1.43 CI = 1.33-1.52, p < 0.001). Exposure to an acne patient using antibiotics did not independently increase a contact's risk of URTI (OR = 0.94, CI = 0.89-1.00, p = 0.063).


CONCLUSIONS
Although acne patients on antibiotics are about 2 times more likely to develop URTIs, their household contacts do not appear to be at an increased risk of URTI.
Bowe
Whitney P
WP
Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Center for Education and Research in Therapeutics, Philadelphia, PA, USA. wpbowe@gmail.com
Hoffstad
Ole
O
Margolis
David J
DJ
D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000635:transmission*; D012189:Retrospective Studies