Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong SH, Lee YK, Ko CY
Affiliation :
Physiotherapy Department, United Christian Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Atopic dermatitis
Keyword 3: :
Phototherapy
Keyword 4: :
Clinical Safety
Keyword 5: :
Multidisciplinary Care
Introduction :
Adolescents with AD experience profound impacts on their quality of life. Phototherapy employing NB-UVB is an universal recommended treatment adjunct, access to this service however remains limited in Hong Kong’s public healthcare system. To address this, United Christian Hospital (UCH) has pioneered a collaborative, and protocol-driven service involving dermatologists, pediatricians, and physiotherapists since 2018.
Objectives :
To assess the clinical effectiveness of NB-UVB phototherapy delivered by physiotherapists (suggest to delete) for treating AD in adolescents.
Methodology :
Subjects with aged below 18 years old with AD were recruited. Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype Scale and the Six Area, Six Sign Atopic Dermatitis (SASSAD) score were used to categorize individual’s skin phototype and assess the severity of AD respectively. Skin test was done to examine the minimal UV exposure to induce just perceptible asymptomatic pinkish skin color which we defined as the Minimal Erythema Dose (MED). Treatment was started at 50% of MED with 3-session/week (6–12 weeks). Incremental 10% dose per session until the asymptomatic erythema pink in skin color reached. Then, the dosage is kept static.
Result & Outcome :
From 2018 to 2024, a total of 21 subjects with eczema were recruited. The mean age was 12-year-old (ranging from 6 to 18-year-old) and the mean attendance was 25. Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype: -Type II: 3 subjects -Type III: 17 subjects -Type IV: 1 subject The mean SASSAD score improved significantly from 44.6 to 29.4 (p-value=0.001) No adverse effects were reported since service commencement in 2018 Physiotherapist-led NB-UVB phototherapy has demonstrated effective as non-pharmacological intervention for adolescents suffering from eczema. However, to strengthen these findings, it is recommended for future studies to incorporate larger sample sizes. Additionally, extending the follow-up period would be valuable for evaluating the long-term effects, and potential adverse outcomes associated with phototherapy. Investigating it’s application in other dermatological conditions, such as psoriasis, vitiligo, and Graft-versus-host disease, as well as exploring physical impacts of eczema and their improvement through UVB phototherapy, would be valuable.
