Background:
Impetigo, a
bacterial infection that is highly contagious, involves the superficial skin. Topical treatment for
impetigo includes amongst other
bacitracin,
gentamycin,
mupirocin,
retapamulin, and more recently,
ozenoxacin 1% cream. For more severe conditions systemic
antibiotics are prescribed and may be combined with a topical treatment. The current review explored the challenges in treating
impetigo in pediatric and adult populations and examined the role of
ozenoxacin 1% cream as a safe and effective treatment option. Methods: We performed PubMed and Google Scholar searches of the English-language literature (2010-2018) using the terms
impetigo, bullous
impetigo, non-bullous
impetigo, antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance,
mupirocin,
retapamulin, and
ozenoxacin. The selected publications were manually reviewed for additional resources. Results: Although guidelines were updated regularly, the recommended treatments have not changed much since 2014. Emerging antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern in dermatology and pediatrics.
Impetigo therapy choices should consider the resistance pattern of S. aureus.
Ozenoxacin 1% cream is a prescription medicine for topical treatment of
impetigo in adults and children 2 months or older.
Ozenoxacin has a low probability of selecting spontaneous resistant mutants in
quinolone-susceptible or
quinolone-resistant bacterial strains and has shown to be active against MRSA isolates.
Ozenoxacin 1% cream has potent bactericidal activity and was shown to be effective and safe for the treatment of
impetigo in two well-controlled Phase 3 trials. Conclusions: Resistance patterns in a wide range of pathogens against oral or topical
antibiotics and
antiseptics used for the treatment of dermatological conditions, such as
impetigo have been observed. When making treatment decisions for
impetigo MRSA and other antimicrobial resistance has to be taken into account.
Ozenoxacin 1% cream offers a potent bactericidal activity and has demonstrated clinical efficacy and safety. Combined with its favorable features, such as a low dosing frequency and a 5 days treatment regimen,
ozenoxacin 1% cream is an important option for the treatment of
impetigo for pediatric and adult populations. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019;18(7):655-661.