Subject(s)
Hyperpigmentation/physiopathology , Hyperpigmentation/psychology , Quality of Life , Sickness Impact Profile , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Cross-Sectional Studies , Ethnicity/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , Hyperpigmentation/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Risk Assessment , Sex Factors , Young AdultSubject(s)
Color Perception/physiology , Dermatology/methods , Environment, Controlled , Light , Skin Diseases/diagnosis , Skin Pigmentation , Adult , Aged , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Disorders of hyperpigmentation are seen commonly in clinical practice. Despite numerous studies investigating sun-protective habits among healthy persons, little is known about these behaviors within patient populations with hyperpigmentation disorders. OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine photo-protective behaviors and their associations in individuals with disorders of hyperpigmentation. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 404 adults who complained of cutaneous hyperpigmentation. RESULTS: About 67.5% reported using a product containing sunscreen, and 91% endorsed using one with a sun protection factor of 21 or higher. Among the participants, 48.5% were not sure if their sunscreen provided broad-spectrum protection, and only 7.6% reapplied every 2 hours. The odds of a patient with melasma using sunscreen were 6.7 times the odds of a patient with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation using sunscreen (P < .001). Additional predictors for sunscreen use were female sex (OR = 3.8, P = .0004) and disease duration of ≥1 year (OR = 2.1, P = .003). In a multivariate analysis, the odds ratio of sunscreen use among African Americans compared to whites was 0.31 (P = .008). LIMITATIONS: Limitations included recall bias, question misinterpretation, and reporter bias. CONCLUSION: Patients diagnosed with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, men, and those with disease duration <1 year reported lower sunscreen usage. These groups might benefit from increased counseling on sun-protective behaviors.
Subject(s)
Health Behavior , Hyperpigmentation/psychology , Sunlight , Sunscreening Agents/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Adult , Black or African American/statistics & numerical data , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Health Behavior/ethnology , Humans , Hyperpigmentation/etiology , Inflammation/complications , Male , Melanosis/psychology , Middle Aged , Sex Factors , Sun Protection Factor , Sunscreening Agents/administration & dosage , Time Factors , White People/statistics & numerical data , Young AdultABSTRACT
We surveyed patients seen at the emergency room at a tertiary hospital in Brazil from August to November 1997. All patients' (n = 600) anterior nares were cultured for MRSA; the results were confirmed by oxacillin disk diffusion methods and by detection of the mecA gene with PCR. Bacteria were found in 93.3% (560) of the patients and MRSA in 0.7% (n = 4). One patient had community-acquired MRSA. We concluded that MRSA is uncommon among patients visiting the emergency room. The presence of community-acquired MRSA can lead to serious medical and epidemiological issues, although initial clinical presentation may not differ from that of infections with other staphylococci. The empirical use of vancomycin for suspected community-acquired infections is seldom warranted.
Subject(s)
Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Methicillin Resistance/drug effects , Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Adult , Brazil/epidemiology , Community-Acquired Infections/epidemiology , Community-Acquired Infections/microbiology , Female , Humans , Male , Methicillin Resistance/genetics , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Staphylococcal Infections/epidemiology , Staphylococcus aureus/geneticsABSTRACT
We surveyed patients seen at the emergency room at a tertiary hospital in Brazil from August to November 1997. All patients' (n = 600) anterior nares were cultured for MRSA; the results were confirmed by oxacillin disk diffusion methods and by detection of the mecA gene with PCR. Bacteria were found in 93.3 percent (560) of the patients and MRSA in 0.7 percent (n = 4). One patient had community-acquired MRSA. We concluded that MRSA is uncommon among patients visiting the emergency room. The presence of community-acquired MRSA can lead to serious medical and epidemiological issues, although initial clinical presentation may not differ from that of infections with other staphylococci. The empirical use of vancomycin for suspected community-acquired infections is seldom warranted.
