Place in therapy
The role of duct tape in the treatment of warts is often excluded from conventional treatment algorithms. Lack of comparisons to first line products such as salicylic acid limit any evidence based comparisons the gold standard therapy. Duct tape is a viable treatment options in patients who are unable to receive first line therapy or willing to try duct tape as a non-pharmacological measure. If a patient decides to use duct tape it must be standard grey duct tape as clear duct tape is proven to have no efficacy.1 Duct tape is very safe with side effects including rare instances of minor irritation.1,3 Duct tape should be applied for 6 and a half days and then removed for 12 hours before reapplying a new piece of duct tape.
References
1. Wenner R, Askari SK, Cham PM, Kedrowski DA, Liu A, Warshaw EM. Duct Tape for the Treatment of Common Warts in Adults: A Double-Blind Randomized controlled trial. Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(3):309-13.
2. Focht DR, Spicer C, Fairchok MP. The Efficacy of Duct Tape vs Cryotherapy in the Treatment of Verruca Vulgaris (the Common Wart). Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2002;156(10):971-4.
3. Gibbs S, Harvey I. Topical treatments for cutaneous warts. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 200;(3): CD001781.
.
The role of duct tape in the treatment of warts is often excluded from conventional treatment algorithms. Lack of comparisons to first line products such as salicylic acid limit any evidence based comparisons the gold standard therapy. Duct tape is a viable treatment options in patients who are unable to receive first line therapy or willing to try duct tape as a non-pharmacological measure. If a patient decides to use duct tape it must be standard grey duct tape as clear duct tape is proven to have no efficacy.1 Duct tape is very safe with side effects including rare instances of minor irritation.1,3 Duct tape should be applied for 6 and a half days and then removed for 12 hours before reapplying a new piece of duct tape.
References
1. Wenner R, Askari SK, Cham PM, Kedrowski DA, Liu A, Warshaw EM. Duct Tape for the Treatment of Common Warts in Adults: A Double-Blind Randomized controlled trial. Arch Dermatol. 2007;143(3):309-13.
2. Focht DR, Spicer C, Fairchok MP. The Efficacy of Duct Tape vs Cryotherapy in the Treatment of Verruca Vulgaris (the Common Wart). Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2002;156(10):971-4.
3. Gibbs S, Harvey I. Topical treatments for cutaneous warts. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 200;(3): CD001781.
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