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. 2022 Aug 11:2022:5636903.
doi: 10.1155/2022/5636903. eCollection 2022.

Unmet Medical Needs and Early Referral of Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis: An Expert Modified Delphi Consensus from Saudi Arabia

A Alradaddi  1   2 , A Al Twaim  3 , A Abu-Aliat  4 , K Al-Atass  5 , L Alogayell  3   6 , M Aldayil  7 , S AlBreiki  8 , S Abed  1   2   9 , M Fatani  10 , O Alsharif  11 , B Darwesh  12 , Levent M Gunay  13 , S Al-Khenaizan  14
Affiliations

Unmet Medical Needs and Early Referral of Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis: An Expert Modified Delphi Consensus from Saudi Arabia

A Alradaddi et al. Dermatol Res Pract. .

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease with increasing prevalence worldwide. It is characterized by pruritic eczematous lesions, affecting up to 20% of the children and negatively impacting their quality of life. Guidelines for AD management are available worldwide, but specific guidelines for pediatric AD in Saudi Arabia are lacking. This consensus document aims to identify the needs for the diagnosis and management of pediatric AD in Saudi Arabia by gathering the opinions and recommendations of key experts. We conducted a three-step modified Delphi method to develop the present consensus. The experts agreed that pediatricians and dermatologists commonly encounter AD; however, it is still under-recognized in its early stage in Saudi Arabia. The family physicians should be involved in assessing suspected children with a family history of atopy, particularly in patients with isolated lesions. Further, the experts confirmed that AD diagnosis should be documented, showing assessment criteria used, key morphological characteristics, and features used to ascertain the severity of the disease. There is still a need for simple validated diagnostic criteria suitable for daily practice for pediatric AD. The experts highlighted several medical conditions that pertain to the diagnosis and management of AD in Saudi Arabia.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare there are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Factors that should be considered in the shared decision-making regarding the treatment of AD.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Factors that should be incorporated in therapeutic protocols of AD.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Reasons for referral of pediatric patients with AD.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Roadmap of pediatrics AD patient in Saudi Arabia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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