Cutaneous bacterial infections are a very common disease seen in the dermatology consultation. The dermatologist cannot be unknowledgeable about primary skin infections due to Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, about the mechanisms by which the infection is produced and the host response. Molecular microbiology has made it possible for us to determine the true extent of the skin flora. Knowledge of this almost makes it possible to determine the limits of the secondary bacterial infections. Septic vasculitis is another field of special interest due to its repercussion in morbidity and mortality. Finally, together with the classical antimicrobials, there is a new generation of antibacterial drugs, both topic (retapamulin) and systemic (linezolid, daptomycin) ones, that augur a promising future in the management of the patients who have cutaneous bacterial infections.