Despite a decrease in antibiotic prescribing over the past decade, dermatologists continue to use antibiotics in their treatments at a higher rate than other healthcare professionals. The overuse of topical and systemic antibiotics, long courses of treatment used for skin diseases, as well as the use of over-the-counter antibiotic preparations, are leading to the worldwide emergence of resistant strains in patients, necessitating a change in antibiotic prescribing patterns for dermatoses, as well as choosing non-antibiotic therapies when possible.
The present study aims to review studies investigating antibiotic resistance in dermatology practice to identify the extent of the problem and opportunities for risk reduction.
Material and methods: A search for scientific research was conducted in the electronic database Google Scholar Research Gate with the keywords: antibiotic resistance, dermatology, skin antibiotic resistance, antibiotic overuse in dermatology, and antibiotics in dermatology practice. The specified search period is from January 2010 to March 2023.
Results: The review includes 25 articles presenting studies from 2010-2023 related to the topic of AMR and dermatologyical practice. Among the publications, review studies presenting dermatologic diseases, their specific therapeutic characteristics, (drugs, doses) associated with AMR risks predominated. There is a scarcity of descriptive studies, mostly with a cross-sectional design, 7 in number, focused, on self-treatment of dermatological diseases; comparison of prescribed therapy with clinical recommendations and analysis of trends in prescriptions of AB in dermatological diseases.
Conclusion: The results highlight the need for raising awareness among health professionals and the public about the problem of AMR, and optimizing the use of antibiotics in dermatological diseases to curb the increasing resistance.
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