Improper use of oral antibiotics, including long-term use over months to years, has resulted in resistant bacteria that are posing a serious health threat, according to Dr. Theodore Rosen, professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. He also noted that alternative options are available that can minimize this risk.

Long-term treatment with topical medication alone was found to effectively keep rosacea at bay in a multicenter clinical study reported at the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

In the study, after being successfully treated with a combination of oral and topical antibiotics to bring their rosacea under initial control, 88 rosacea sufferers were randomly assigned to use alone either a topical antibiotic or the same topical gel without the antibiotic (placebo) twice daily for six months.