PARENT CONFIDENCE IN EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF ATOPIC DERMATITIS TREATMENT IN CHILDREN. COMPARISON OF ACTIVATED ZINC PYRITHIONE WITH OTHER EXTERNAL THERAPY OPTIONS AS PART OF STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH

Abstract

The article provides results of a study to assess the satisfaction of the parents with the therapy being administered to children at ages 1 to 6 with moderate atopic dermatitis (objective SCORAD 15–40) when using activated zinc pyrithione (ZP) and any other external agents. All the parents were confident in the safety and efficacy of the treatment for their children when activated ZP was administered. They more often described the administered treatment as straightforward and believed they could use the developed plan of action. No additional agents for external therapy were required when activated ZP was administered. 83% of the subjects in the control group were administered topical corticosteroids. Intensity of symptoms and SCORAD index value bear evidence in favour of activated ZP. The safety of the treatment regimes under review was comparable. The study results indicate that the use of activated ZP makes the therapy for medium severe atopic dermatitis in children efficient, straightforward and meeting expectations of the patients’ parents who want to be sure of the treatment safety. Key words: atopic dermatitis, external therapy, activated zinc pyrithione. (Pediatric Pharmacology. – 2010; 7(2):46-51)