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Current practices for pediatric phototherapy: Findings from a cross-sectional study

Riley K Spencer1,2, Erin Bartholomew1, Jessica Padniewski3

  • 1Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.

Pediatric Dermatology
|November 29, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric phototherapy lacks specific guidelines, leading to varied practices. This study surveyed 39 US sites, finding common use of informed consent, no minimum age, Fitzpatrick skin typing for dosing, and parental accompaniment in lightboxes.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Pediatric Phototherapy
  • Clinical Practice

Background:

  • Phototherapy is a common treatment for pediatric inflammatory skin conditions.
  • Lack of specific guidelines for pediatric phototherapy results in inconsistent treatment protocols.
  • Variability in pediatric phototherapy implementation necessitates an understanding of current practices.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate current implementation practices of phototherapy in pediatric patients across the United States.
  • To identify common themes and variations in pediatric phototherapy procedures.
  • To provide insights for developing standardized pediatric phototherapy guidelines.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted.
  • Data were collected from 39 clinical sites across 19 states in the US.
  • Sites were identified through the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) Health Care Provider Directory.

Main Results:

  • 100% of responding sites used Fitzpatrick skin type for phototherapy dosing.
  • 91.8% of sites had no minimum age requirement for pediatric patients.
  • 86.4% required informed consent, and 65% allowed parents in the lightbox with children.

Conclusions:

  • Current pediatric phototherapy practices show considerable variability, particularly regarding age and parental accompaniment.
  • The universal use of Fitzpatrick skin typing suggests a potential basis for standardized dosing protocols.
  • Further research is needed to establish evidence-based guidelines for safe and effective pediatric phototherapy.

Keywords:
atopic dermatitisinflammatory disordersphototherapypsoriasis

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