Evaluation of bacterial growth with occlusive dressing use on excoriated skin in the premature infant.

This study evaluated the effects of an occlusive (OpSite Flexigrid) dressing on bacterial growth over excoriated and the surrounding intact skin of eight premature infants. Cultures were obtained before placement and four days after dressing placement. An analysis of variance demonstrated significant increases in coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and overall total skin. No significant differences in bacterial growth occurred between intact skin underneath the dressing and that on the opposite side of the body post-dressing placement. Significant increases were found in bacterial concentrations for both intact and excoriated skin post-dressing placement. Small sample size and no between-subject design hinder generalization to the neonatal population.