To follow up on my original question about topical steroids being used when
broken skin is present or bacterial or fungal infection is a possibility...
 I received several e-mails offlist from others who were concerned about
this as well, but also heard that the pain relief from the reduction in
inflammation was more important than possibly prolonging an infection.

On a slightly similar note, yesterday I was talking to an internist I worked
with extensively during school -- was over at his office to try to figure
out how to treat my developing sinus infection without using Sudafed or
irritating nasal vasoconstrictors.  He gave me a nasal steroid spray but
cautioned that using it would really make me susceptible to bacterial
infection -- something he often sees.  (He gave me an antibiotic to use
anyway and I'm already feeling better).

So while it's not exactly the same issue, I'm still not entirely convinced
that topical steroids in the presence of likely infection or even just
colonization is all that benign.

-Sarah Reece-Stremtan M.D. (who gets up to 6 months of research time during
her last year of residency, so might need to figure out how to work in
"treatment of nipple trauma" into her anesthesia program) :)

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