What do you recommend for patients with atopic dermatitis who require long-term treatment?

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What do you recommend for patients with atopic dermatitis who require long-term treatment?

Featuring:

RCRaj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, MSCIFaculty

Updated:Jul 28, 2023

Summary

In the video, Dr. Raj Chovatiya discusses the long-term treatment options for patients with atopic dermatitis, emphasizing that atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease. He stresses the importance of understanding this fact, as many patients may be seeking quick fixes for their condition. Once patients comprehend the chronic nature of the disease, they can explore more effective long-term treatment options.

Dr. Chovatiya mentions several long-term treatment options available for atopic dermatitis. These include:

Biologic therapies: These are advanced treatments that target specific molecules in the immune system to control inflammation and symptoms.
Oral JAK (Janus kinase) inhibitors: These are medications taken orally that also work to suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation.
Phototherapy: This treatment involves controlled exposure to ultraviolet light to improve symptoms.
Oral immunosuppressants: Old-school medications that can be considered based on the patient's type and condition.

Dr. Chovatiya acknowledges that all of these options will be part of his discussion with patients. However, he primarily focuses on framing the idea of atopic dermatitis as a chronic disease. This understanding will help patients realize that long-term, chronic approaches are often necessary to achieve proper control over the condition.

Key Points

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease that requires long-term treatment.
Biologic therapies are available as a long-term treatment option for atopic dermatitis.
Oral JAK inhibitors are also an option for long-term treatment of atopic dermatitis.
Phototherapy can be considered as a potential long-term treatment approach.
Old school oral immunosuppressants may be prescribed based on the patient's type and condition.
The focus should be on educating patients about the chronic nature of the disease.
Emphasizing the chronic aspect helps unlock possibilities for effective long-term treatments.
The goal is to provide long-term control of atopic dermatitis using chronic approaches.

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94

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95

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96

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97

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