[Increase in rate of resistance to fusidic acid among Staphylococcus aureus isolates from patients admitted with atopic dermatitis].

To determine whether there has been an increase in the incidence of resistance to fusidic acid among Staphylococcus aureus isolates in the Netherlands, a retrospective study was carried out. The resistance pattern of S. aureus isolates from patients with atopic dermatitis at the Dermatology inpatient department of the University Medical Centre Utrecht was determined during the period 1995-2001. The rate of resistance increased from 9.7% to 23.4% during this period, whereas the rate of resistance of S. aureus to methicillin remained stable at around 0.5%. Prolonged topical use of fusidic acid is probably the main cause for the increase in fusidin resistance. Therefore it is advised to limit the use of fusidic acid for infected dermatitis to short periods of about two weeks, and only after sensitivity of the strain to fusidin has been confirmed.