NEW ORLEANS – After identifying a contact dermatitis trigger, a new online system provides a database of personal care products to recommend to patients as being safe to use or best to avoid.
CAMP (Contact Allergen Management Program) also produces a list of specific product ingredients that might spur cross-reaction, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Contact Dermatitis Society.
Dr. Matthew J. Zirwas
Dr. Matthew J. Zirwas and other dermatologists developed CAMP based on their experience with CARD (Contact Allergen Replacement Database). The Mayo Clinic has leased CARD to the American Contact Dermatitis Society since 2002, but announced last year that they no longer wished to host the system.
"They offered to lease it to us for $1 million for 5 years. The [ACDS] board felt CARD was essential, but we couldn’t absorb the cost," Dr. Zirwas said.
A survey indicated that "CARD is a main reason that people become ACDS members," Dr. Zirwas said. "We decided the best approach would be to develop a system to give members the same basic functions as CARD."
The board of the American Contact Dermatitis Society saw this as an opportunity. "There were things about CARD that were improvable," said Dr. Zirwas of Ohio State University in Columbus.
A clickable list of common allergens, more specific cross-reactivity data, and the ability for manufacturers to update their product information are among the features of the new CAMP system (accessible at www.contactderm.org).
If a patient has a less-common allergy, the name of the allergen can be entered manually.
In the "Generating a List of Products" section, product categories relevant to the allergen can be selected. "We know that patients shop by brand. So we put all the eye makeup together, and it’s easy for them to click on ‘Clinique,’ for example," Dr. Zirwas said. "You can print out the list, or the system will e-mail it to them as a .pdf" attachment.
After taking bids from several companies, the board chose Proximo, a company that also manages a database for the Personal Care Products Council.
"I spoke to the [council] about having companies update their own information each year, and the [manufacturers] liked the idea," Dr. Zirwas said. Active participation in a system that promotes patient safety is a benefit for them, he explained. Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Estée Lauder, and Mary Kay are all participating.
Multiple ingredient names for the same allergen can confound both dermatologists and patients. The CAMP system, however, searches for all relevant names unless the feature is turned off.
Some cross-reactors, such as formaldehyde, are well known. The challenge is that for more than 90% of ingredients, there are few or no data on cross-reactivity, Dr. Zirwas said. "In CARD, if there was any chance of cross-reactivity, it was in there. It was broadly defined, so the list was overrestrictive."
Allergens with less cross-reactivity evidence are included in CAMP based on feedback from an expert panel. "It is sort of a best-opinions approach."
Patient information is another feature of CAMP. The system features about three pages of narratives on specific allergens that are expected to grow over time, he said. For example, if a patient is allergic to balsam of Peru, information can be printed out that summarizes what is known about the allergen and how it can be avoided, including dietary recommendations.
ACDS membership ($300 per year) includes access to the CAMP database. For more information on how the system works, visit the CAMP instrument.
Dr. Zirwas said that he had no relevant disclosures.