Sunscreen use and skin protection behaviour on the Belgian beach: a comparison 9 years later.

Public health campaigns encourage people to protect themselves against skin cancer by using sunscreens and taking other protective measures. The objective is to estimate the impact of these campaigns on the rise of awareness among the general public. This study explores the prevalence and predictors of solar protection behaviour in a sample of beachgoers and compares these results to another similar study carried out 9 years earlier (i.

Relevance of positive patch-test reactions to fragrance mix.

Background: Fragrances are an important cause of allergic contact dermatitis. We presume that the traditional fragrance mix (FM) detects 70 to 80% of fragrance-allergic patients. FM has an irritant potential.

Sunscreen use and skin protection behavior on the Belgian beach.

Background: Public health campaigns encourage the public to protect themselves against skin cancer by using sunscreens and taking other protective measures. However, it is difficult to estimate the level of awareness among the general public.

Methods: This study explores the prevalence and predictors of solar protection behavior in a community sample of beachgoers.

Evidence-based diagnosis in patch testing.

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is defined as the integration of the best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values. Based on the principles of EBM, we can conclude that patch testing is cost-effective only if patients are selected on the basis of a clear-cut clinical suspicion of contact allergy and only if patients are tested with chemicals relevant to the problem (high pretest probability). Random patch testing (low pretest probability) should be discouraged.

Epicutaneous patch testing.

Epicutaneous patch testing is still regarded as the best method of diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis. The present patch test technique is the result of a continuous process of development and improvement since its first application in the late 19th century. During the last decades of the 20th century a lot of effort was put into standardization of materials and methods used in patch testing.