A male client visits the physician’s office for treatment of a skin disorder. As a primary treatment, the nurse expects the physician to prescribe:
A. An I.V. corticosteroid
B. An I.V. antibiotic
C. An oral antibiotic
D. A topical agent
Correct Answer: D. A topical agent
Although many drugs are used to treat skin disorders, topical agents — not I.V. or oral agents — are the mainstay of treatment. Topical corticosteroids play a major role in the treatment of many dermatologic conditions. They are FDA-approved and indicated for the use of inflammatory and pruritic presentations of dermatologic conditions.
Option B: The active ingredient, or drug, in a topical preparation is mixed with an inactive ingredient (called the vehicle). The vehicle determines the consistency of the product (for example, thick and greasy or light and watery) and whether the active ingredient remains on the surface or penetrates the skin.
Option C: Topical drugs (drugs applied directly to the skin) are a mainstay of treating skin disorders. Systemic drugs are taken by mouth or given by injection and are distributed throughout the body. Rarely, when a high concentration of a drug is needed at the affected area, a doctor injects the drug just under the skin (intradermal injection).
Option D: In addition, many preparations are available in different strengths (concentrations). Choice of vehicle depends on where the drug will be applied, how it will look, and how convenient it is to apply and leave on. Creams, the most commonly used preparations, are emulsions of oil in water, meaning they are primarily water with an oil component. (An ointment is the opposite, some water mixed mostly with oil.) Creams are easy to apply and appear to vanish when rubbed into the skin. They are relatively non-irritating.
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