Eczema Flashcards
What is the most common skin condition in kids?
eczema
What is the best way to describe eczema?
skin is highly sensitive/overreactive due to skin barrier being broken down which causes epidermal water loss–>drying
What are the stages of eczema?
acute: stimuli has made its impact causing blistering and inflammation, lasts 7 days
sub-acute: stimuli is gone, dry/scaly skin
chronic: fluctuations, dry/scaly skin mixed with flare ups
What is the clinical presentation of eczema?
initially seen in young children
blistering–>dry skin–>scaling
scratch-itch-scratch
on the face in infants, with age on hands, elbows, wrists, back of knees
True or false: eczema tends to fade as people move towards adulthood
true
What are some characteristics of mild, moderate, and severe eczema?
mild: areas of dry skin, infrequent itching, w or wo areas of redness
moderate: areas of dry skin, frequent itching, w or wo broken skin or localized thickening
severe: widespread areas of dry skin, incessant itching, redness w or wo skin thickening, bleeding, oozing, cracking
What are the five major clinical features associated with AD?
pruritis
chronic relapsing
age-specific distribution
family history
onset before 2yrs
Why do we view AD/eczema as a chronic relapsing inflammatory condition?
patients have acute flares followed by periods of relative clearing
What is the allergic march? What is it most linked to?
eczema–>asthma–>allergic rhinitis
80% due to genetics
What is contact dermatitis?
dermatitis via the contact of something
ex: drooling, chemicals, etc
What does eczema tend to look like in dark skin?
tends to look darker brown, purple, or ashen grey
What triggers can worsen eczema?
low humidity (winter)
irritants (wool, sweat, etc)
allergens (dust mites, food)
What is the clothing fiber of choice for eczema patients?
cotton
What are some treatments for eczema?
avoid triggers (irritants, soaps, sanitizers)
wear cotton gloves (babies at night) or disposable gloves (for avoiding detergents when washing dishes)
correct fiber choice for clothing
Rank the following from best to worse for eczema: synthetic, cotton, wool
cotton>wool>synthetic What
What are some measures to counteract dry skin in eczema sufferers?
less hot baths/showers (strips lipids off skin)
exposure to cold weather (hard to do)
humidifier in winter
cream use as much as possible and after showers/baths
True or false: lotions will suffice for eczema
false
if you can pump it out, then its too weak for eczema
What are the best moisturizers?
the ones that feel greasy because they contain more oil (ointments and creams)
What is critical to eczema care?
frequent and consistent use of moisturizers
What components of the skin are low in eczematous skin?
ceramide and proteins
Why are “ceramide therapies” probably not much better than simpler products for eczema patients?
there are many sub-types of ceramide and its a tall order for the moisturizer to have the ceramide hit the exact spots that it has to
What are the worst kind of soaps for eczema patients?
scented with colourants added
“the portal to hell”-Jeff Taylor
True or false: we should stick to the traditional companies such as Neutrogena or Polysporin when choosing an eczema product compared to the companies like Flexitol
true
What are the recommendations around bathing and eczema?
warm, plain water, once daily
moisturize immediately following bathing
gentle cleansers may be used on areas that need cleaning
mild synthetic detergent without fragrance should be used to clean soiled areas
True or false: there is plenty of evidence to support bleach baths to rid the skin of staph auerus
false