Robust evidence is needed in treating acne
BMJ 2002; 325 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.325.7377.1422 (Published 14 December 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;325:1422
- Sarah Garner, senior research fellow (sarah.garner@nice.nhs.uk),
- Anne Eady, principal research fellow,
- Tony Avery, professor
- Department of Public Health, St George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE
- Division of Microbiology, School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
- Division of General Practice, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH
EDITOR—Although the review and commentary by Webster et al on the management of acne contain good sense, the opinions presented do not fully reflect the evidence base or the risks associated with antibiotics.1
Webster promotes the use of antibiotics in the routine management of even mild acne when there is considerable global effort to limit antimicrobial prescribing to reduce resistance in key pathogens (www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/actionplan/html).2 The extended antibiotic courses used in treating acne exert immense selective pressure on commensal flora,3 and, …
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