Irritant contact dermatitis arises when the skin is exposed to a substance that directly damages the skin barrier. The priority in initial management is identifying and removing the offending exposure before any other measures are applied.
The cornerstone of first-line management is causative substance avoidance. Beyond that, certain topical soothing measures are used for acute and weeping presentations — but the full sequence of options, indications, and evidence grading is in the complete protocol.
In patients with contact dermatitis, the priority is to identify and avoid the causative substance.
Cool compresses can soothe the symptoms of acute contact dermatitis, and calamine lotion and colloidal oatmeal baths may help dry and soothe acute, oozing lesions.
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