INDIVIDUAL ARTICLE: Antibiotic Stewardship in Acne: 2023 Update
February 2024 | Volume 23 | Issue 2 | SF378969s4 | Copyright © February 2024
Published online February 1, 2024
Naiem T. Issa MD PhDa, Leon H. Kircik MDb
aForefront Dermatology, Vienna, VA; Issa Research & Consulting, LLC, Springfield, VA;
Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
bIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN;
Physicians Skin Care, PLLC Louisville, KY; DermResearch, PLLC Louisville, KY; Skin Sciences, PLLC Louisville, KY
bIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN;
Abstract
Antibiotics, topical and oral, are a cornerstone in the treatment of acnes vulgaris specifically by targeting the skin bacterium Cutibacterium acnes. Billions of individuals have received antibiotics as part of their treatment resulting in a worldwide pandemic of antibiotic resistance not only for C. acnes but also many other pathogens. With the increasing prevalence of acne and exponentially increasing utilization of antibiotics, prescribers must urgently embrace the notion of antibiotic stewardship to maintain the efficacy of acne treatments while attenuating the rise of resistance. This paper serves as an update on C. acnes resistance to antibiotics commonly employed in the treatment of acne and the necessity of implementing benzoyl peroxide in the treatment regimen as monotherapy or combination antibiotic therapies for overcoming and preventing resistance.
J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23:1(Suppl 2):s4-10.
