소아 아토피에 사용되는 외용제의 원외처방 현황

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is a disease that has increased in prevalence in recent decades. Topical steroids are frequently prescribed as a standard management of topical therapy. Recently, topical immunomodulators have been developed and used on atopic dermatitis. However, the use of many topical drug for pediatric atopic dermatitis has not been reported, sufficiently. Hence, it is necessary to study the present use of the topical drug and to compare topical steroids with topical immunomodulators. Test objects were outpatients who were under than 18 years old and visited the Seoul National University Children Hospital from June 2005 to August 2005. We obtained through medical information system the numbers of topical steroids and topical immunomodulators that were prescribed outside the hospital, classified according to skin areas and potency in steroids. Especially, we focused on the prescriptions on facial atopic dermatitis by age and sex. In addition, to find out the trend in prescription, we investigated the changes between topical steroids and topical immunomodulators. As a result, the proportion of topical steroids and topical immunomodulators was 85.3% and 14.7%, respectively. Less potent topical steroids were used on the face. Moderately potent topical steroids were prescribed on the other areas of the body. The potency of topical steroids has let to restrictions on use on delicate skin area. The proportion of topical steroids and topical immunomodulators on the face was 41.5% and 58.5%, respectively. The average age of patients who was prescribed topical steroids and immunomodulators for on the face was 5.1(±5.7) and 10.2(±5.3), respectively. The proportion of the topical steroids on the face was 46.3% in the girls and 39.1% in the boys. There were eight patients whose prescriptions were changed from topical steroids to topical immunomodulators. This change was from two reasons: (i) a local adverse event, associated with long-term use of topical steroids, was not seen in use of topical immunomodulators and (ii) no response to topical steroids for some patients.