The overall goal of the Eckermann regimen is to treat and significantly improve moderate to severe psoriasis. This is accomplished by first performing the cool-down procedure if needed, in which topical steroids are applied to affected areas. After the cool down period, the patient receives ultraviolet B phototherapy.
Next crude coal tar and topical steroids are applied to the psoriasis lesions. After the ointments and tar are applied, the skin is wrapped with plastic wrap. Ultimately, the patient can experience remission of their psoriasis.
Revealing how eckermann therapy is an effective treatment for moderate to severe psoriasis while maintaining absolute systemic safety. Eckermann therapy is a unique treatment that involves the use of lact all day, every day, along with light therapy, which is ultra by light B phototherapy. It is one of the most effective treatment, so even if a patient failed other medications like biologic, cyclosporine, methotrexate, they usually clear or greatly improve with gman therapy.
One great advantage of this treatment is that there's nothing internal involved. Everything is done from outside, so we do not have to worry about internal side effects such as cancer or serious infection such as tuberculosis. In a study conducted at University of California San Francisco, a hundred percent of the patients achieved a great improvement.
We have a name for a dermatology called PASI 75. In contrast, biologic agents only did over 30%to maybe up to 70%of the patients achieved the same endpoint in the same time period. Now, since Gein therapy has very few side effects, it is actually a great treatment option for all types of patients.
This includes children, the elderly patients who are immunosuppressed, or we have a history of cancer and patients with a history of multiple medical problems. Some are the common but very mild side effects of Garmin treatment include folliculitis and mild skin burning. Geman therapy was first published in 1925 and was performed as an inpatient procedure.
However, due to changes in managed care, Chein therapy is now administered as an outpatient in daycare centers, and currently only a few institutions still offer the treatment. Video demonstration of this therapy can be critical as application of topical medication and subsequent occlusion can be difficult. Furthermore, video demonstration can be helpful to other healthcare providers who want to better understand the process and to help them feel more comfortable in recommending the therapy, as well as educating fellow medical students and residents who typically do not get exposure to the treatment during their training.
Demonstrating this procedure will be our Eckermann nurses, Elizabeth Rivera and Sarah Hols here at the University of California San Francisco Psoriasis and Skin Treatment Center. To begin obtain a complete history and physical information concerning current or past medications, response to past psoriasis therapies and adverse reactions to ambient sunlight or phototherapy should be collected at this time. Next, prepare the clinic room with the necessary material for dermal application of medications and occlusions.
Medications and supplies needed for the topical application of tar and corticosteroids include topical steroids such as clobetasol ointment, triamcinolone ointment, desonide cream or ointment, and fluocinolone acetonide oil, various formulations of tar such as 2%5%or 10%Crude coal tar and white petrol latum, 20%LCD in Neutro derm lotion, and 20%liquid carbon is detergents and Aquaphor ointment and other materials such as hydrophilic, moisturizing ointment, plastic wrap for the occlusion of topical medications and mineral oil for washing, topical medications, off gloves, socks, pajama gowns, sleeves, modesty plus and a shower cap should be available as well. The first step of the Geck Erman process is to assess the patient for diffuse and intense erythema. In addition to visually inspecting for redness, ask the patient if they feel hot or burning.
If intense erythema is present or the patient feels hotness or burning, perform a cool-down procedure to reduce erythema before proceeding. If erythema is absent, the patient can skip the step and proceed directly to receiving the phototherapy plus TAR R treatment. The purpose of the cool down procedure is to decrease intense baseline skin inflammation so that phototherapy and tar can be tolerated.
To do this, apply triamcinolone ointment to the trunk and extremities, deign ointment or cream to the face and fluocinolone oil or triamcinolone lotion to the scalp reserve C clobetasol ointment for areas with the most intense inflammation, occlude the topical medications with plastic wrap for the trunk and extremities. Use impermeable gloves for the hand and shower caps inside socks for the feet, a shower cap for the scalp and a gown to cover up the entire body. Keep the topical steroids on the skin for at least four hours.
Then allow the patient to wash them off with soap in the shower Afterwards, apply moisturizer. Perform the cool down procedure once daily for three to 14 days until the erythema is significantly reduced. Once the erythema is significantly reduced, proceed to the phototherapy plus tar step.
Administer phototherapy daily in the morning. Prior to the application of crude cold tar, the dosing regimen and schedule needs to be individualized based on the patient's response to phototherapy. Increase the dose of UVB light exposure each day as tolerated by the patient after phototherapy, apply crude cold tar topically to the affected areas of the body.
If the patient has scalp involvement, apply 20%liquidous detergents or LCD in neu derm to the scalp. Initially, we start the patient out with 2%crude coal tar, and we continue to keep them on the 2%for five sessions. After the five sessions, they're increased to 5%crude coal tar.
If they continue to tolerate after another five sessions, we go to 10%crude coal tar. At any time, if they have any irritation or burning or itching, we just hold em at the dose they're at or they, we decrease the dose from 10%to 5%For thickened areas of psoriasis, use tar compounded with salicylic acid to help reduce the scaling and induration of the plaques. Next, occlude the topical tar medications.
As demonstrated earlier in the cool down procedure, keep topical medications on the skin for at least four hours before washing them off. The response to Eckermann therapy can be augmented by concurrent use of topical medications at home. Provide and ask the patient to apply 20%LCD in Aquaphor to the body and 20%LCD in Neutro derm to the scalp at home each day, assess the patient's skin and response to treatment.
Inquire specifically for sensations of burning, which can indicate intolerance to light therapy or itching, which can indicate irritation from the tar or plastic wrap. If a patient exhibits signs of burning, decrease the dose of phototherapy or do not give phototherapy that day as it may have been caused by a phototoxic reaction to the previous UV light dose. Continue eckermann therapy until the disease is cleared and the patient is ready to be discharged.
Administer outpatient phototherapy three times a week. Gradually tapering down the visits over time. Provide the patient with topical medications and instructions for at home therapy.
These include triamcinolone ointment to be applied to the body twice daily, clobetasol to recalcitrant lesions if needed, twice daily, 20%LCD, and Aquaphor to the body, and 20%LCD in neu derm to the scalp. Within a month of discharge, schedule the patient for a follow-up visit with their physician to monitor disease status. The picture shown here is of a patient with severe psoriasis plaques prior to the start of eckermann therapy.
Though mild erythema is still present, there is a significant decrease in scale and induration of plaques after four weeks of treatment. Typically, this corresponds also to decreased itching and skin discomfort. After completing a full course of therapy, this patient shows a complete clearance of their lesions.
While performing this procedure, it is important to assess the patient's response daily. If the patient encounters side effects such as burning, it is important to adjust the treatment as to not exacerbate their skin condition. Following this procedure, patients can maintain disease control with ultraviolet light and topical medication.
However, since psoriasis is a chronic lifelong disease, the condition may worsen in the future. Erman therapy can be repeated and usually takes less time to achieve clearing on subsequent treatments. After watching this video, viewers should have a good understanding on how ERMAN is administered in outpatient daycare center and how it can be a safe and effective treatment for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.
