Dermatology pharmacology Flashcards
topical medication involves 2 things. What are they?
- vehicle
- active drug
what is a vehicle?
- a pharmacologically stable substance that carries active drug
- can be a lotion, cream, solution, paste etc
What are some factors that affect absorption?
- thickness & hydration of stratum corneum
- temperature
- concentration
- chemical properties of drug
what effects do topical steroids have? (5)
- anti-inflammatory & immunosuppressive properties
- regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines
- suppress fibroblast, endothelial & leukocyte function
- vasoconstriction
- inhibit vascular permeability
what are some side effects of topical steroids?
- thinning /atrophy
- bruising
- hirsutism
- telangiectasia
- acne / rosacea
- glaucoma / cataracts
what are the 3 main systemic treatments in dermatology?
- retinoids
- biologics
- traditional immunosuppressants
what is the approx weight of a finger-tip unit?
0.5g
What are retinoids & how do they work?
- they are vitamin A analogues
- normalise keratinocyte function
- anti-inflammatory & anti-cancer effects
what are retinoids effective in?
–Acne ie isotretinoin
–Psoriasis
–Cutaneous T cell lymphoma
– Hand eczema
side effects of retinoids?
- dry lips/skin
- increased triglycerides & transaminases
what are some downsides to using immunosuppressants to treat an inflammatory condition?
- risk of malignancy & serious infection
- need regular blood test monitoring
What are biologics?
- genetically engineered proteins derived from human genes, designed to inhibit specific components of immune system
- very effective but costly
if the biologic has ‘-cept’ in it, what does it mean?
-it is a receptor infusion, genetically engineered fusion protein
if the biologic has ‘-mab’ in it, what does it mean?
monclonal antibody
side effects of biologics?
- risk of infection
- risk of malignancy
