Student Connecticut Children's Medical Center Farmington, Connecticut, United States
Background: Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin inflammatory disease. AD causes severe pruritus and mechanical damage to the skin through scratching, resulting in an increased risk of infections and skin discoloration. Hence, daily treatment is necessary to relieve AD symptoms. A common therapy for AD is Topical Corticosteroids (TCSs) which quickly alleviate inflammation. However, prolonged use is associated with side effects such as skin atrophy and discoloration. Due to the relief provided by TCSs, misuse of prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) TCSs is common. An effective understanding of factors causing TCS misuse is still needed to prevent TCS side effects in pediatric AD. Objective: This study aims to find the association between TCS potency, treatment duration, areas of TCS application, and TCS side effects within pediatric AD. This study will bridge gaps in the data on pediatric AD treatment methods and identify barriers to TCS treatment compliance. Ultimately, the information gathered from this study will be used to provide updated guidelines for TCS prescription methods and patient education. Design/Methods: The IRB approved this study. Eligible patients in the Emergency Department complete a 30-item RedCap survey regarding demographics, AD characteristics, TCS usage, TCS counseling, and side effects. Participants must be younger than 18 years and have used a TCS to treat AD in the past 4 years to be included. Children with severe health concerns were excluded. Data collection began in March 2023 and will end in March 2024. Currently, 150 subjects have completed the survey, with a planned enrollment of 200. Clinical characteristics will be examined using descriptive statistics (mean/SD for continuous variables; frequency counts for categorical variables). This data will be subjected to t-test and chi-square analyses to evaluate associations between TCS potency, prescription vs OTC TCSs, TCS application factors, and side effects. Parental knowledge will be assessed using proportions and descriptive statistics.
