CPD: Dermatology Continuing Professional Development
CPD 60 Second Summary First, a point of clarification – many think the word “eczema” implies a genetic condition and “dermatitis” implies an external allergic problem – in fact, both terms to a dermatologist are interchangeable / mean precisely the same thing. What does a dermatologist mean when they refer to “seborrheic dermatitis”? This refers classically to a rash predominantly on the face affecting the T zone where the production of the skins natural oil called “sebum” is at its maximum. Sufferers of eczema will often recall a history of eczema as a young child which then faded away for many years before reappearing as eczema in adult life. The classic distribution of this condition is on the inner flexural aspects of the elbows and knees but is usually widely scattered elsewhere as well. Allergy testing is a specialised field of dermatology which is hard to gain access to because this is only perform by a small number of dermatologists and correct patch testing involves up to 4 separate hospital visits therefore it is time consuming and expensive Try whenever possible not to use standard soap on the skin and instead use a moisturizing cream as a soap substitute and generally speaking have a good skincare programme to the affected area. Do you understand the potential causes of eczema (genetic, allergic, infected) and the relative strengths of your skin treatment options? Have any skin exposure circumstances have changed? Does allergy need to be considered?
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AUTHOR: Dr John Ashworth Dr John Ashworth is a leading Consultant Dermatologist and is registered with the General Medical Council of Great Britain and the Irish Medical Council. Educated at St.Bedes College in Manchester and Manchester Medical School, he carried out his medical elective at Johnston Willis Memorial Hospital in Virginia, USA. At www.dermatologist.ie we offer online Consultant diagnosis/advice and prescriptions for patients
1. REFLECT - Before reading this module, consider the following: Will this clinical area be relevant to my practice?
knowledge gap - will this article satisfy those needs - or will more reading be required?
2. IDENTIFY - If the answer is no, I may still be interested in the area but the article may not contribute towards my continuing professional development (CPD). If the answer is yes, I should identify any knowledge gaps in the clinical area.
4. EVALUATE - Did this article meet my learning needs - and how has my practise changed as a result? Have I identified further learning needs?
3. PLAN - If I have identified a
5. WHAT NEXT - At this time you may like to record your learning for future use or assessment. Follow the
4 previous steps, log and record your findings. Published by IPN. Copies can be downloaded from www.irishpharmacytraining.ie Disclaimer: All material published is copyright, no part of this can be used in any other publication without permission of the publishers and author.
Management of Common Skin Conditions Provision of specialist services for dermatology is limited therefore many patients will seek High Street advice from their local pharmacy. The bulk of dermatological problems consist of the following four situations –
1. Skin cancer 2. Acne 3. Eczema / Dermatitis 4. Psoriasis
This article is concerned with items three and four Eczema/Dermatitis First, a point of clarification – many think the word “eczema” implies a genetic condition and “dermatitis”
