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Fusidic acid in skin and soft tissue infections

D Spelman1

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital, Prahan, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. d.spelman@alfred.org.au

International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
|October 21, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Fusidic acid shows high efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus skin infections but limited effectiveness against Streptococcus pyogenes. Clinical trials reveal cure rates of 91-99% for S. aureus and 75-85% for S. pyogenes.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Microbiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes.
  • Fusidic acid exhibits potent in vitro activity against S. aureus but demonstrates marginal activity against S. pyogenes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinical efficacy of fusidic acid in treating skin and soft tissue infections.
  • To compare the effectiveness of fusidic acid against S. aureus and S. pyogenes.

Main Methods:

  • Review of in vitro data and clinical trials on oral and topical fusidic acid.
  • Comparison of fusidic acid efficacy against S. aureus and S. pyogenes based on cure rates.
  • Analysis of comparative studies with other topical agents for various skin conditions.

Main Results:

  • Oral fusidic acid demonstrated high cure rates (91-99%) for S. aureus infections but lower rates (75-85%) for S. pyogenes infections.
  • Topical fusidic acid showed comparable efficacy to other agents, except in cases of S. pyogenes infections.
  • Positive outcomes were reported for topical fusidic acid in treating acne, erythrasma, and abscesses.

Conclusions:

  • Fusidic acid is highly effective for S. aureus SSTIs but less so for S. pyogenes SSTIs.
  • Topical fusidic acid offers a viable treatment option for specific skin infections, with varying efficacy depending on the causative pathogen.

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