Baseline Characteristics
| Control (n = 40) | Oral Antibiotic (n = 36) | Topical Antibiotic (n = 37) | Overall (n = 113) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD) | 3.3 (2.2) | 2.9 (2.2) | 3.0 (2.1) | 3.1 (2.1) |
| Gender, n (%) | ||||
| Male | 17 (42.5) | 18 (50.0) | 17 (45.9) | 52 (46.0) |
| Female | 23 (57.5) | 18 (50.0) | 20 (54.1) | 61 (54.0) |
| Ethnicity, n (%) | ||||
| White | 33 (82.5) | 31 (86.1) | 27 (73.0) | 91 (80.5) |
| Mixed | 4 (10.0) | 1 (2.8) | 3 (8.1) | 8 (7.1) |
| Asian, Chinese or other | 1 (2.5) | 3 (8.3) | 3 (8.1) | 7 (6.2) |
| Black | 2 (5.0) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (8.1) | 5 (4.4) |
| Prefer not to answer | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.8) | 1 (2.7) | 2 (1.8) |
| Duration of eczema flare,a n (%) | ||||
| 1–3 days | 3 (12.5) | 3 (13.0) | 2 (10.0) | 8 (11.9) |
| 4–7 days | 10 (41.7) | 9 (39.1) | 4 (20.0) | 23 (34.3) |
| 8–14 days | 7 (29.2) | 7 (30.4) | 5 (25.0) | 19 (28.4) |
| 15–28 days | 4 (16.7) | 4 (17.4) | 9 (45.0) | 17 (25.4) |
| Clinical features,b n (%) | ||||
| Itchy skin | 37 (94.9) | 35 (97.2) | 35 (94.6) | 107 (95.5) |
| Dry skin | 37 (94.9) | 35 (97.2) | 37 (100) | 109 (97.3) |
| Weeping or oozing skin lesion | 19 (48.7) | 20 (55.6) | 22 (59.5) | 61 (54.5) |
| Crusting | 27 (69.2) | 28 (77.8) | 28 (75.7) | 83 (74.1) |
| Pustules | 13 (33.3) | 14 (38.9) | 7 (18.9) | 34 (30.4) |
| Fever during this illness | 7 (18.0) | 10 (27.8) | 6 (16.2) | 23 (20.5) |
| Painful skin | 23 (59.0) | 25 (69.4) | 31 (83.8) | 79 (70.5) |
| Hypersensitivity of skin | 26 (66.7) | 27 (75.0) | 27 (73.0) | 80 (71.4) |
| Disturbed sleep | 26 (66.7) | 28 (77.8) | 25 (67.6) | 79 (70.5) |
| Feeling generally unwell | 11 (28.2) | 15 (41.7) | 13 (35.1) | 39 (34.8) |
| Interference in normal activities | 9 (23.1) | 19 (52.8) | 18 (48.7) | 46 (41.1) |
| Features of infection, n (%) | ||||
| One or more of weeping, crusting, pustules, fever, or painful skin | 36 (92.3) | 33 (91.7) | 35 (94.6) | 104 (92.9) |
| Growth of S. aureus from skin swab | 16 (60.0) | 30 (83.3) | 24 (66.7) | 78 (69.6) |
| Prescribed topical corticosteroids,c n (%) | ||||
| Mild only | 19 (48.7) | 16 (45.7) | 12 (32.4) | 47 (42.3) |
| Moderate only | 15 (38.5) | 15 (42.9) | 16 (43.2) | 46 (41.4) |
| Both mild & moderate | 5 (12.8) | 4 (11.4) | 9 (24.3) | 18 (16.2) |