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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
As immunosuppressive therapies for children's skin conditions multiply, so does the need for careful pre-treatment infection screening. Experts at the SPD 2026 Annual Meeting outlined a six-question exposure history framework and vaccination timing guidance to prevent serious—sometimes fatal—complications from latent infections.
The landscape of immunosuppressive therapies for pediatric dermatologic diseases has shifted dramatically—TNF-alpha inhibitors once dominated, accounting for over 80% of prescriptions in 2013, but now make up less than 30% as newer agents like dupilumab and secukinumab take center stage. With this evolution comes a growing responsibility to screen children for infection risk before starting these drugs, as the consequences of missing a latent infection can be severe or even fatal.
At the SPD 2026 Annual Meeting, Dr. Beth Thielen of the University of Minnesota presented a six-question screening framework—originally designed for adults—adapted for pediatric use. Key areas include travel history (including parents' native countries), TB exposure, soil or animal contact, and any history of unusual or hard-to-treat infections. Experts stressed that risk is not uniform: different drugs carry different infection profiles, and a one-size-fits-all approach won't cut it.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: As more children receive long-term immunosuppressive therapy, missing a latent infection at baseline can turn a manageable condition into a life-threatening crisis. Structured, drug-specific screening is a high-yield, potentially life-saving step.
