Dermatology Therapeutics Flashcards
in general, what is the most common therapy used in dermatology?
topical
creams, gels, lotions, powders, sprays, foams
Since the skin’s role is mainly as a barrier to outside sutbstances, what is drug delivery dependant on?
- skin type (thinner skin easier than thicker skin)
- Skin condition (inflamed, cracked, broken skin will more readily take up med)
- Lipid vs. water-based vehicle
- charge
- concentration gradient
What layer of skin is the “rate limiting step” to topical therapy absorption?
stratum corneum
How can we increase the penetrance of a topical med?
Hydrate the skin first
use a vehicle with higher occlusiveness and absorption - ointments better than creams, creams better than lotions, lotions better than gels, etc..
What are the actions of corticosteroids?
anti-inflammatory
immunosuppressive
anti-proliferative
vasoconstrictive
What are some of the dermatological uses for corticosteroids?
eczema, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, lichen planus
What are the adverse effects of corticosteroids?
skin atrophy (especially over thing skin like the groin)
striae
acne
suppression of the HPA axis
How are corticosteroids classified by strength?
1 to 7 with 7 being the mildest
based on standardized lab vasoconstriction assay
What are retinoids and what do they do?
vitamin A analogs
bind to nuclear receptors on DNA and alter gene transcription to regulate cell growth, inhibit carcinogenesis and alter enzymes involved with cellular differentiation
What are three topical retinoids?
- tretinoin (retin-A)
- tazarotene (tazorac)
- adapalene (differin)
What are the uses for retinoids?
acne
psoriasis
cosmetic skin improvement (wrinkles)
What is the main side effect of the retinoids?
dry skin
irritation
sun sensitivity
Specifically what type of acne responds well to retinoid use?
comedonal acne
What is Calcipotriene?
a vitamin D analog that acts through DNA receptors to alter skin differentiation (similar to the retinoids)
(also called Dovonex)
What is calcipotriene used for?
psoriasis
WHat are the 2 side effects of calcipotriene?
irritation and increased serum calcium
What are some topical antimicrobials we use?
clindamycine or erythromycin gel
benzoyl peroxide gel
tervinafine, oxiconazole (antifungals)
metronidazoles gel (for rosacea!)
bacitracin or mupirocin (on wounds)
What do topical calcineurin inhibitiros (TCIs) do?
they are considered the nonsteroidal anti-inflamatory drugs
they work through calcineurin to alter T-cell activation, so they’re good for T-cell mediated diseases like contact dermatitis
What are two TCIs we talked about?
tacrolimus (protopic)
pimicrolimus (Elidel)
On what part o the body would you want to use a TCI?
On thin skin where it’s better to avoid the steroids
like the eyelids and groin
in terms of sunscreens, which ones actually BLOCK the sun?
the metals -
titanium dioxide and zinc oxide
What ist he lowest SPF that can claim reducing skin cancer risk?
SPF 15
What term on a sunscreen bottle will mean they cover UVA and UVB?
broad spectrum
How does Imiquimod (Aldara) cream work?
It’s an immune response modifier that actually INCREASES inflammation
through toll-like receptors
What do we use imiquimod (aldara) for?
warts
actinic karatosis
BCC (in situ)
molluscum
What other topical drug can be used in the same situations as Imiquimod?
topical 5-fluorouracil