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Newer Concepts in Antimicrobial Therapy

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Rheumaderm

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 455))

Abstract

Antimicrobial agents continue to play a significant role in clinical practice not only due to their active role in the treatment of bacterially induced infections. The accompanying anti-inflammatory characteristics and their antagonism against superantigens add to their importance. The practitioner must also be aware of both overt and covert unwanted effects.

During the past decade, the new quinolones, advanced macrolides, and better cephalosporins have been introduced. The staid penicillins have been up-graded with the addition of a α-lactamase inhibitor.

Many antibiotics have been available for several decades but new uses for them and their derivatives permit the dermatologist to have a more versatile armamentarium. Rifamycin has been shown to be effective in the treatment of leishmaniasis. The new macrolide, clarithromycin, will reduce the lesions of acne vulgaris and acne rosacea.

Although phototoxicity was well recognised in the sulfonomides, several quinolones can create similar light-induced problems. Bullous diseases are known to be instigated by the penicillins, while vasculitis may be caused by a quinolone. Even porphyria has been reported to be induced by a tetracycline.

Antimicrobial therapy has been an integral part of dermatologic practice since the introduction of the sulfa drugs six decades ago. Whether skin is affronted by more pathogenic bacteria than any other organ or whether the percentage of infectious etiologies is greater for cutaneous maladies than for other organ afflictions is not germane to this pres- entation. The facts remain that signs and symptoms of many dermatitides are diminished or even eliminated by antimicrobials [1, 2, 3, 4].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Lawrence Charles Parish MD

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  1. Lawrence Charles Parish MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. St. Luke’s Hospital, University of Malta Medical School, Malta, USA

    Carmel Mallia

  2. Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson Universit, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Jouni Uitto

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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Parish, L.C. (1999). Newer Concepts in Antimicrobial Therapy. In: Mallia, C., Uitto, J. (eds) Rheumaderm. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 455. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4857-7_60

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4857-7_60

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7203-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4857-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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