Phototherapy lamps are fluorescent and LED type bulbs used for neonatal, dermatological and psychological treatment.
What is phototherapy?
Phototherapy, also called light therapy or light therapy, is a therapeutic tool in which electromagnetic radiation, that is, light, is used for the treatment of medical diseases and psychopathological disorders. The type of light applied can be visible, infrared or ultraviolet radiation. In the field of medicine, phototherapy is used, above all, in the treatment of skin diseases, such as vitiligo or psoriasis.
Phototherapy is also the treatment of choice to reduce the severity of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, regardless of its etiology. Phototherapy reduces bilirubin levels by transforming bilirubin into water-soluble isomers that can be eliminated unconjugated in the liver.
In what types of diseases are phototherapy lamps used?
Phototherapy consists of the use of a series of lamps in the treatment of different skin diseases by means of ultraviolet radiation, which mainly has an anti-inflammatory action. The mechanism of action of phototherapy is complex, and can be explained by the combined action of the inhibition of epidermal proliferation, an anti-inflammatory effect, and various immunomodulatory actions.
Phototherapy is used in different inflammatory dermatological diseases (psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, among others) and neoplastic (mycosis fungoides). It is generally indicated in extensive forms in which the application of a topical treatment is insufficient. And also in the treatment of neonatal jaundice.
How are phototherapy lamps used?
There are different types of therapeutic radiation. Narrowband UVA and UVB radiation. UVA is a radiation that reaches more deeply but in a less powerful way, which is why it needs a photosensitizing drug (that is, one that enhances the effect of UVA radiation): psoralen (Psoralen + UVA = PUVA). In the case of extensive skin diseases, psoralen is administered in tablets (according to weight), 2 hours before the session, while in localized eruptions (gentle and feet) it is administered in cream (or bath), about 15 minutes before.
UVB is a more superficial radiation but powerful enough not to need any accompanying drug. Depending on the type of disease, the type of lesions and the characteristics of each patient, one treatment or another will be chosen. The radiation dose per session also depends on the skin type of each patient. Generally 2-3 sessions a week are administered up to about 20 sessions. Occasionally, it can be combined with other topical or systemic treatments to increase effectiveness.
In the case of the treatment of neonatal jaundice, it is a simple technique that consists of placing a light at a distance of 30-40 cm from the bare body surface of the newborn after placing radiopaque glasses and removing any cream or lotion. of the skin.
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