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Dermatitis - contact - Management
How should I manage secondary infection?
- Suspect secondary infection if clinical signs of infection are present (e.g. rapid worsening of dermatitis with marked erythema, discharge, or increased pain). The person will often feel unwell or feverish.
- For visibly infected dermatitis, swab the skin and start oral antibiotics:
- Flucloxacillin or clarithromycin (if the person is allergic to penicillin) is recommended first-line.
- If visible infection fails to respond to a first-line antibiotic, microbiological investigations to ascertain sensitivities may be useful.
In depth
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