Fusidic acid plus betamethasone in infected or potentially infected eczema

Eighty-one patients with atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis received a 1-week treatment with 0.1% betamethasone alone on one side and 0.1% betamethasone plus 2% fusidic acid on the other side. Clinically, the combination was marginally superior and in patient preference a significant difference in favour of the combination was recorded. Bacteriologically, the combination eliminated 67% of bacteria originally present in the skin lesions compared with 51% with steroid alone.