Mobile Phone Dermatitis in Children and Adults: A Review of the Literature

A novel smartphone app for blood pressure measurement: a proof-of-concept study against an arterial catheter

Smartphones may provide a highly available access to simplified hypertension screening in environments with limited health care resources. Most studies involving smartphone blood pressure (BP) apps have focused on validation in static conditions without taking into account intraindividual BP variations. We report here the first experimental evidence of smartphone-derived BP estimation compared to an arterial catheter in a highly dynamic context such as induction of general anesthesia. We tested a smartphone app (OptiBP) on 121 patients requiring general anesthesia and invasive BP monitoring. For each patient, ten 1-min segments aligned in time with ten smartphone recordings were extracted from the continuous invasive BP. A total of 1152 recordings from 119 patients were analyzed. After exclusion of 2 subjects and rejection of 565 recordings due to BP estimation not generated by the app, we retained 565 recordings from 109 patients (acceptance rate 51.1%). Concordance rate (CR) and angular CR demonstrated values of more than 90% for systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) and mean (MBP) BP. Error grid analysis showed that 98% of measurement pairs were in no- or low-risk zones for SBP and MBP, of which more than 89% in the no-risk zone. Evaluation of accuracy and precision [bias ± standard deviation (95% limits of agreement)] between the app and the invasive BP was 0.0 ± 7.5 mmHg [- 14.9, 14.8], 0.1 ± 2.9 mmHg [- 5.5, 5.7], and 0.1 ± 4.2 mmHg [- 8.3, 8.4] for SBP, DBP and MBP respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a smartphone app was compared to an invasive BP reference. Its trending ability was investigated in highly dynamic conditions, demonstrating high concordance and accuracy. Our study could lead the way for mobile devices to leverage the measurement of BP and management of hypertension.

Social media addiction in university students in Lebanon and its effect on student performance

Objective: This study aims to assess addiction to social media among university students and to explore the association of addiction to social media with academic performance. Methods: A random sample of 997 university students filled in a self-administered questionnaire using Google form (response rate 81%). The questionnaire adopted a validated scale (Social Media Addiction Scale, SMAS) and included questions about socio-demographics. Grade point average, absences, and passing rate were extracted for each student from the university management system. Results: Results showed that each of the three dimensions of addiction to social media (compulsive feelings, social consequences and time displacement) reduce at least one indicator of academic performance (GPA, absenteeism and passing rate). Conclusion: Results call to design and evaluate interventions that tackle different social media addiction dimensions to reduce their negative impact on academic performance.

Nickel Allergy: Epidemiology, Pathomechanism, Clinical Patterns, Treatment and Prevention Programs

Nickel is the most common cause of contact allergy in the general population and the most frequently detected allergen in patients patch tested for suspected allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). ACD from nickel is a typical type IV hypersensitivity. Nickel allergy is mostly caused by nonoccupational exposure, such as jewelry and clothing decorations, metal tools, medical devices (mainly orthopedic and orthodontic implants, cardiovascular prosthesis), eyeglasses, utensils, keys, pigment for paint, cosmetics, and food (mainly legumes, chocolate, salmon, peanuts). Occupational exposure can involve several workers (mechanics, metalworkers, platers, hairdressers, jewelers, workers in the constructions and electronic industries), classically involving hands and forearms. The classic clinical pattern of ACD caused by nickel is characterized by eczematous dermatitis involving the sites of direct contact with the metal. Non-eczematous-patterns are reported, including lichenoid dermatitis, granuloma annulare, vitiligo-like lesions, dyshidrosiform dermatitis, and vasculitis. In the case of systemic exposure to nickel, sensitized patients could develop systemic contact dermatitis. Patch testing represents the gold standard for the diagnosis of ACD from nickel. Treatment includes avoidance of contact with products containing nickel and the patient's education about the possible use of alternative products. A recent EU nickel directive, regulating the content and release of nickel from products, has caused a decrease of nickel contact allergy in some European countries. Nickel allergy is a relevant issue of public health with significant personal, social, and economic impact. This review summarizes epidemiology, pathomechanism, clinical patterns, treatment, and prevention programs.

The Smart Use of Smartphones in Pediatrics

The problematic overuse of electronic devices, in particular smartphones, is negatively affecting the lives of American youth. Cell phone technology has advanced its capabilities with smartphones to now easily provide children and teens with endless access to the internet, social media, and other online activities. Research is showing that addictive, smart phone activities of youth in their formative years is directly impacting their wellbeing. The excessive time youth spend on their smartphones results in less human interaction, sleep, exercise, and productivity, as well as, increased risk of exposure to inappropriate or violent online media, anxiety, and depression. The purpose of this column is to explore the potential behavioral and developmental problems in youth related to the problematic overuse of the smartphone; inform the importance of monitoring and controlling indiscriminate youth use of technology, and the approaches pediatric nurses can employ to guide youth and their families to prevent negative outcomes for this evolving public health problem.

Skin in the game: Video-game-related cutaneous pathologies in adolescents

Background

Following the inception of video games and the subsequent development of progressive innovations in videogame technology, many reports of videogame-related dermatologic conditions soon emerged in literature. Children and adolescents, in particular, are among the most avid consumers of online digital entertainment.

Methods

In an effort to better detail the impacts of these cutaneous manifestations and provide recommendations for injury prevention as it relates to video games, we performed an extensive systems-based literature review pertaining to the clinical features, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of reported cases of dermatoses resulting from the misuse of video games.

Results

A literature review using PubMed, SCOPUS, Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE was performed. Hardware implicated in the reported cases include video games consoles, personal computers, laptop computers, mobile phones and tablets. The dermatologic conditions are primarily localized to the extremities, particularly the palms and fingers. The majority are associated with repetitive friction and trauma, as well as allergic contact sensitivities. For all cutaneous manifestations induced by video gaming, early recognition and removal of the offending agent was most often described as effective in symptom resolution.

Conclusions

The universal use and pervasive popularity of video games for recreational purposes present an emerging dermatological concern. As videogames become increasingly advanced and immersive, various cutaneous conditions arising from intensive gaming will likely become common over time. Consequently, it is critical that dermatologists consider video games with a high index of suspicion when encountering dermatological ailments in underage patients engaging in persistent gaming behavior.

Radiation Effects of Mobile Phones and Tablets on the Skin: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Skin health has become a worldwide concern. Most of the studies investigated the effect of mobile phone radiation on DNA and animals, but a few studies were carried out about skin diseases in mobile phone and tablet users. Few systematic studies have examined the relationship between mobile phone exposure and skin diseases.

METHODS

We evaluated the association between mobile phones and tablets and skin diseases. We checked databases including PubMed, Scopus, Springer, Cochrane, and Google Scholar from 1995 to 2013. The eligibility criteria were descriptive, and observational studies were in English and Persian language, and the subjects were of all ages and reported skin disease.

RESULTS

Most of the studies focused on signs and less on skin cancer. In total, 6 studies were included with 392119 participants with age over 25 years. In a nationwide cohort study in Denmark for BCC, the IRR (incidence rate ratios) estimates remained near unity among men and women. In the other studies, they reported an increase in temperature, hypersensitivity of warmth, facial dermatitis, angiosarcoma of the scalp, and burning sensations in the facial skin after mobile phone use on the exposed side and more within the auricle and behind/around the ear.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall evaluations showed that the level of evidence associated with the effects of radiation from the mobile phone and tablet on the skin is poor. This review shows a necessity for more studies in this area.

Metal nanoparticles in the presence of lipopolysaccharides trigger the onset of metal allergy in mice

Many people suffer from metal allergy, and the recently demonstrated presence of naturally occurring metal nanoparticles in our environment could present a new candidate for inducing metal allergy. Here, we show that mice pretreated with silver nanoparticles (nAg) and lipopolysaccharides, but not with the silver ions that are thought to cause allergies, developed allergic inflammation in response to the silver. nAg-induced acquired immune responses depended on CD4(+) T cells and elicited IL-17A-mediated inflammation, similar to that observed in human metal allergy. Nickel nanoparticles also caused sensitization in the mice, whereas gold and silica nanoparticles, which are minimally ionizable, did not. Quantitative analysis of the silver distribution suggested that small nAg (≤10 nm) transferred to the draining lymph node and released ions more readily than large nAg (>10 nm). These results suggest that metal nanoparticles served as ion carriers to enable metal sensitization. Our data demonstrate a potentially new trigger for metal allergy.

The "Jewelry Addict": Allergic Contact Dermatitis from Repetitive Multiple Children's Jewelry Exposures

A 9-year-old girl with atopic dermatitis developed persistent plaques on the lips, hands, and fingers that were unresponsive to topical steroids. Her mother reported that she was "addicted" to costume jewelry and developed rashes in reaction to a number of adornments, ranging from rubber bracelets to costume metal jewelry and belt buckles. A careful history of jewelry exposures was taken and patch testing was performed to identify allergenic sources. Patch testing revealed allergy to nickel, gold, and thiuram mix. The case illustrates the importance of investigating a range of different types of allergens when evaluating for jewelry sensitivity in children with frequent use of accessories, including rubber jewelry, plastics, dyed yarns, beads, metals, and ceramics. This article provides an overview of jewelry allergies and the potential allergens requiring screening.