Abstract

AZUA BLANCO, Mª Dolores; PINOL MONSERRAT, Juan  and  NAVARRO LUCIA, Margarita. Epidemiological study of the allergic contact dermatitis in people over 65 years old. Gerokomos [online]. 2009, vol.20, n.3, pp.109-117. ISSN 1134-928X.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis (CAD) is one of the most common pathologies of an occupational or non-occupational nature, making up from 3% to 5% of all dermatology consultations. Diagnosis is made from the presented clinical symptoms and by means of epicutaneous tests to identify the substance causing the condition, and to allow the prevalence and relevance of positive reactions to the studied allergens to be assessed in order to take suitable preventive action. All of the patients were studied with the standard Spanish Contact Dermatitis Research Group (GEIDC) skin tests and standard approved allergens produced by Martitor España guide lines. The stydy was made of patients aged 65 and over registered with the Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa Area 3 Dermatological Allergy Unit for 9 years, with the following variables: number of patients with (+) test results, age, sex, pathology presented, location of lesions, occupation and positive reactions to each allergen. A total of 1.559 patients were studied. Of these, 1.309 (83.96%) were diagnosed with ACD, 551 males (42.10%) and 758 females (57.90%). Only 50 individuals from this group were over 64 years of age, 17 males and 33 females. On review of the data from the study, it was seen that the most prevalent allergy is to topical medications used for the treatment of a number of dermatological conditions in 39 patients (37.14%), 26 women and 13 males. We believe that these data are interesting and should be taken into account when prescribing treatments to geriatric patients. In this way, the use of specific substances with intense sensitizing capacities (cainas, neomycin, etc.) can be avoided and replaced with other drugs.

Keywords : Inmmunity; dermatitis; contact; greater person.

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