Do Bleach Baths Prevent Recurrent Staph Infections?

One of the big frustrations of managing community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections is the recurrence rate, which studies put at about 50%. To interrupt the cycle, clinicians have tried a variety of preventive measures, usually some combination of antiseptics (e.g., chlorhexidine, dilute bleach) and topical antibiotics (e.g., mupirocin).

In a randomized, single-blind trial, Houston researchers evaluated the preventive efficacy of bleach baths alone in 987 healthy immunocompetent children (age range, 3 months–18 years) who had sustained one to three skin or soft tissue infections ascribed to S. aureus. The 3-month recurrence rate was 21% in children who were treated only with “standard hygienic measures” (…