Finger tip unit
Encyclopedia
In medicine
, a finger tip unit (FTU) is defined as the amount of ointment, cream
or other semi-solid dosage form
expressed from a tube with a 5mm diameter nozzle, applied from the distal skin-crease to the tip of the index finger
of an adult. One FTU is enough to treat an area of skin twice the size of the flat of an adult's hand with the fingers together, i.e. a “handprint”.
One handprint is 0.8% (i.e. approximately 1%) of the total body surface area, and one FTU covers approximately two handprints. As two FTUs are approximately equivalent to 1g of topical application, the “Rule of Hand” states that “4 hand areas = 2 FTU = 1g”.
The FTU is particularly useful when counseling patients with regards to the amount of topical steroid cream they should be applying in order to minimize the side-effects which are associated with their use. The FTU can also be used in children.
Two FTUs are approximately equivalent to 1g of topical steroid
.
Dermatology Working Groups in the UK and in Poland have recommended that guidance for use of topical corticosteroids in patient information leaflets should include clear FTU instructions, preferably with images of a FTU and a chart to show the number of units required for specific areas of the body. USA guidelines of care for the management of psoriasis with topical therapies include guidance of amount to be used based on the FTU.
The use of the FTU has been advocated to reduce the variation in usage of topical steroids and to encourage adherence to therapy. The FTU can also be used to guide the use of topical sunscreens. The FTU has been used to standardize the amount of cream being applied in clinical research studies in the UK, Belgium, Turkey, India, Iran, Pakistan and the USA.
In the original study in the UK, one FTU weighed 0.49g in men and 0.43g in women. The area covered by one FTU was 312 cm² in men and 257 cm² in women. Very similar results were found in a Mexico study.
When a topical drug was used as a foam, the weight of an FTU was 52.5 μg: the area covered by one foam FTU was less than that of an FTU of cream.
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, a finger tip unit (FTU) is defined as the amount of ointment, cream
Cream (pharmaceutical)
A cream is a topical preparation usually for application to the skin. Creams for application to mucus membranes such as those of the rectum or vagina are also used. Creams may be considered pharmaceutical products as even cosmetic creams are based on techniques developed by pharmacy and...
or other semi-solid dosage form
Dosage form
-Introduction:Dosage forms are a mixture of active drug components and nondrug components. Depending on the method of administration they come in several types. These are liquid dosage form, solid dosage form and semisolid dosage forms. A Liquid dosage form is the liquid form of a dose of a...
expressed from a tube with a 5mm diameter nozzle, applied from the distal skin-crease to the tip of the index finger
Index finger
The index finger, , is the first finger and the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the first and third digits, between the thumb and the middle finger...
of an adult. One FTU is enough to treat an area of skin twice the size of the flat of an adult's hand with the fingers together, i.e. a “handprint”.
One handprint is 0.8% (i.e. approximately 1%) of the total body surface area, and one FTU covers approximately two handprints. As two FTUs are approximately equivalent to 1g of topical application, the “Rule of Hand” states that “4 hand areas = 2 FTU = 1g”.
The FTU is particularly useful when counseling patients with regards to the amount of topical steroid cream they should be applying in order to minimize the side-effects which are associated with their use. The FTU can also be used in children.
Two FTUs are approximately equivalent to 1g of topical steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
.
Dermatology Working Groups in the UK and in Poland have recommended that guidance for use of topical corticosteroids in patient information leaflets should include clear FTU instructions, preferably with images of a FTU and a chart to show the number of units required for specific areas of the body. USA guidelines of care for the management of psoriasis with topical therapies include guidance of amount to be used based on the FTU.
The use of the FTU has been advocated to reduce the variation in usage of topical steroids and to encourage adherence to therapy. The FTU can also be used to guide the use of topical sunscreens. The FTU has been used to standardize the amount of cream being applied in clinical research studies in the UK, Belgium, Turkey, India, Iran, Pakistan and the USA.
In the original study in the UK, one FTU weighed 0.49g in men and 0.43g in women. The area covered by one FTU was 312 cm² in men and 257 cm² in women. Very similar results were found in a Mexico study.
When a topical drug was used as a foam, the weight of an FTU was 52.5 μg: the area covered by one foam FTU was less than that of an FTU of cream.