Bacterial Flora of the Healthy Skin in Children

Abstract

The normal bacterial flora of the skin of 100 healthy children was studied in a paediatric practice with regard to the germ spectrum and the resistance constellation, by means of abrasion skin samples taken from the upper part of the back. Staphylococcus albus was by far the most predominant bacteria, followed by Sarcina bacteria and Corynebacteria. The high degree of pervasion of this physiological cutaneous flora with antibiotic-resistant strains increases the suspicion that in the case of florid bacterial skin infections in children, subsequent to traumatic or inflammatory changes of the integument, the antibiotic resistance of the normal resident flora can be transferred to the pathogenic flora. In view of the endemic resistance of pathogenic and saprobic strains of bacteria against practically all antibiotics at present used in paediatric practice, it is to be urgently recommended that instead of antibiotics topical broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents (antiseptics), e.g. clioquinol, triclosan^†, etc., should preferably be used.