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INTRODUCTION
Topical corticosteroids including clobetasol propionate have been widely used in the treatment of psoriasis since the 1950s. Similar efficacy successes have been reported following 2 weeks of treatment with clobetasol propionate 0.05% (CP) spray or 4 weeks of treatment with calcipotriene 0.005%, betamethasone dipropionate 0.064% (C-BD) ointment in separate studies. Greater efficacy has been noted with clobetasol propionate 0.05% spray when used for 4 weeks compared with 2 weeks with an acceptable safety profile. Clobetasol propionate 0.05% spray and calcipotriene 0.005%, betamethasone dipropionate 0.064% ointment have not previously been directly compared for efficacy and safety in the same study.
METHODS
It was therefore the aim of this study to compare the efficacy and safety of clobetasol propionate 0.05% spray to calcipotriene 0.005%, betamethasone dipropionate 0.064% ointment in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis for a period of up to 4 weeks. Assessments were made at baseline, Week 2, Week 4 (end of treatment) and Week 8 (4 weeks post treatment).
RESULTS
An assessment for overall disease severity (ODS) found that 75% of CP-spray-treated patients (p =.003) achieved a rating of clear or almost clear after 4 weeks of treatment compared with 45% of C-BD-ointment-treated patients. Adverse events were reported by less than one third of patients from each treatment group (31% for CP spray and 33% for C-BD ointment).
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this randomized 4-week comparative study are expected to provide further information to dermatologists considering treatment choices for psoriasis patients who are candidates for topical corticosteroid therapy.
NURSING IMPLICATIONS
Nurses in the specialized field of dermatology will gain insight into the disease state and treatment options, which will be useful information for patient consultations.
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