In the soap dispenser, a lurking danger

Adding antimicrobials to consumer products such as hand lotions and soaps may not add to their effectiveness and could contribute harmfully to antibiotic resistance. According to Yale pediatrician Myron Genel, M.D., acquired resistance to antimicrobials may predispose bacteria to resistance against therapeutic antibiotics as well. Genel chaired the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs, which issued a report on antibiotics in June. Antimicrobials, which kill disease-causing bacteria, are commonly used in hospitals and other health care settings to reduce surface colonization of bacteria, but the AMA council found no evidence to support their addition to household cleansing agents. The report encouraged the FDA to expedite its regulation of antimicrobial use in consumer products.