Affiliations: Department of Dermato-pathology, University Hospital
of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Note: [] Correspondence: Prof. Gérald E. Piérard, MD, PhD,
Department of Dermato-pathology, CHU Sart Tilman, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.
Tel.: +32 4 3662408; Fax: +32 4 3662976; E-mail: gerald.pierard@ulg.ac.be
Abstract: Impetigo is a superficial bacterial infection of the skin. It is a
contagious condition particularly affecting children. In many instances, a
topical antibacterial treatment is recommended to clear the disease. Topical
antibiotics and antiseptics can be used, but the risk for antibiotic-induced
bacterial resistance of the community-acquired type has been pointed out. The
present study was undertaken as a randomized intra individual comparative trial
between fusidic acid (FA) cream and povidone iodine (PVP-I) gel in 40 children
suffering from impetigo. Cultures revealed Staphylococcus aureus in the
vast majority of the cases. The lesions present on each upper limb were treated
twice daily with one or the other test formulation. Clinical assessments were
performed twice weekly until cure. After one week, cure was obtained in
57.5% of the PVP-I-treated limbs compared to 32.5% of the FA-treated
limbs. At the end of treatment cure was obtained first on the PVP-I treated
sites in 67.5% of cases compared to 15% on the FA-treated sites. Clinical
cure occurred simultaneously on both test sites in 17.5% of cases. In
conclusion, PVP-I provided faster clinical cure than FA. Considering the
treatment cost, the rising community-acquired staphylococci resistance to
FA, and the results of the present study, PVP-I gel appears superior to FA
cream in childhood impetigo.
