| Sumario: | Treatment of a range of inflammatory skin conditions, including eczema, usually requires the use of topical steroids. These conditions are challenging for healthcare professionals and their patients in terms of both their physical and emotional symptoms. Topical steroids are available in a range of formulations including creams, ointments and tapes. Steroid tape is an easy to use and patient-friendly formulation for these conditions. In the UK, the commercially available formulation is fludroxycortide impregnated tape (4 micrograms per sq. cm), which represents a moderately potent steroid. It is licensed in the UK for recalcitrant chronic dermatoses such as eczema and psoriasis. Whilst fludroxycortide tape has been available in the UK for several decades, it is not as widely used as steroid creams and ointments due to lack of awareness and knowledge from healthcare professionals. However, patients with these inflammatory skin conditions, who also suffer significant emotional and mental health issues, often struggle to find a topical steroid that they are happy with. Healthcare professionals should therefore be aware of steroid tape, its indications and use, to offer greater patient choice and potentially better adherence to topical treatment. This review paper describes an in-depth real world research survey of 1,000 patients with skin conditions, 72% of whom had eczema, which evaluated their mental and emotional health. The value of fludroxycortide tape in inflammatory skin conditions is also identified and reviewed.
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