New Therapeutic Breakthroughs in Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis
A supplement to Pediatric News supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.
Highlights of presentations made at the Masters of Pediatrics.
To view the supplement, click the image above. To take the CME test, download and print out the PDF file, and follow the test instructions on page 14.
Contents
The Challenge of Treating Eczema Lawrence A. Schachner, MD Professor of Pediatrics and Dermatology
Director, Pediatric Dermatology
University of Miami School of Medicine
Clinical Grants: Novartis and Fujisawa.
The Medical Need for a New Treatment—A Preclinical Review Moise L. Levy, MD Professor of Pediatrics and Dermatology
Baylor College of Medicine
Chief, Pediatric Dermatology
Texas Children's Hospital, Houston
Consultant: Novartis and Fujisawa;
Clinical Investigator: Novartis and Fujisawa;
On the Speakers' Bureau: Novartis and Fujisawa.
New Therapies: Safety and Efficacy Amy S. Paller, MD Professor of Pediatrics and Dermatology
Northwestern University Medical School
Chief, Dermatology
Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago
Consultant: Novartis and Fujisawa;
On the Speakers' Bureau: Novartis and Fujisawa.
Target Audience
This activity has been developed for pediatricians and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in children.
Educational Needs
Pediatric atopic dermatitis is a challenge for pediatricians not only because the treatment regimen is typically multifaceted and long term, but also because the condition exerts a tremendous psychosocial and financial toll on the patient's entire family. Traditional therapy, including corticosteroids, can be problematic as a result of patient compliance issues, concerns about steroid side effects, and unrealistic expectations by the patient's family regarding the speed and efficacy of prescribed medications. The Food and Drug Administration recently has approved new nonsteroidal therapies that hold promise in treating atopic dermatitis. Pediatricians need to be aware of these new agents, understand their mechanisms of action, and be cognizant of the findings of recent clinical trials examining the efficacy and safety of the drugs in pediatric populations.
Learning Objectives
By reading and studying this supplement, participants should be able to:
• List some of the ways pediatric atopic dermatitis affects the entire family, including psychosocial factors such as inhibition of parent-child bonding, physical effects such as sleep disruption, and financial costs such as medical expenses and income loss from work absences.
• Describe the components of the traditional therapy regimen for pediatric atopic dermatitis, including changes to the patient's environment and the use of emollients, antihistamines, topical corticosteroids, and antibiotics, and discuss their limitations, known side effects, and common treatment pitfalls.
• Explain the mechanism of action and toxicologic profiles of new nonsteroidal therapies for atopic dermatitis and how they differ from corticosteroids and from each other.
• Discuss the findings from clinical studies to date on nonsteroidal therapies for the treatment of mild to severe atopic dermatitis in infants and children, the most common adverse effects, and what is known about concurrent use of these agents with topical corticosteroids.
Accreditation
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the University of Miami School of Medicine and International Medical News Group. The University of Miami School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education to physicians.
The University of Miami School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 hour in category 1 credit toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those hours that he/she actually spent in the educational activity.
Date of Original Release: May 6, 2002. Term of Approval: May 6, 2002 to May 6, 2003.
