DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2013.v01i06.0017

Pages: 724-727

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin disorders in young adults especially during Puberty. The widespread and long-term use of antibiotics in the treatment of acne has resulted in the spread of resistant bacterial strains and treatment failure. We examined the bacteriology of acne vulgaris and evaluated its susceptibility to the antibiotics widely used for acne. Samples were collected from nodulocystic and pustular skin lesions of fifty young adults amongst college students in the age range of 18-27 years old from Dermatology OPD. The specimes were cultured individually on blood agar and Muller-Hinton media. The cultures were then incubated under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions for 2 to 7 days. Bacteria were identified and their resistance to common antibiotics was evaluated according to the standard procedures. In aerobic culture of pustular and nodulocystic skin lesions, Staphylococcus aureus was present in 45% of subjects, Staphylococcus epidermidis in 49% and Micrococcus spp in 45% of subjects. In anaerobic bacterial culture of pustular and nodulocystic skin lesions, Staphylococcus aureus was present in 41%, Propionibacterium acne in 32% and Staphylococcus epidermidis in 20% of subjects. This study revealed that clindamycin and erythromycin were the least effective antibiotics for Propionibacterium acne while tetracycline was the least effective for Staphylococcus aureus. A synergic effect of benzoyl peroxide, erythromycin or clindamycin was noticed. Rifampin was the most effective antibiotic in vitro.