Ineffectuality of Hexachlorophene Bathing Reexamined

In the article entitled, "Recurrence of Skin Disease in a Nursery: Ineffectuality of Hexachlorophene Bathing," Ghelbach et al.1 interpreted their data as showing that hexachlorophene (HCP) bathing was ineffective in controlling an epidemic of skin disease in their newborn nursery. Upon reexamination, however, it appears that the data contained in the article more strongly support the opposite conclusion. The authors9 paradoxical interpretation seems to have resulted from a confusion between the concepts of epidemic skin disease and asymptomatic colonization with staphylococci or group A streptococci.