Coal Tar
Coal Tar Information

About Coal Tar

Coal Tar is the principal by-product of the destructive distillation of bituminous coal, is an exceedingly complex mixture containing about 10,000 compounds. These include naphthalene, benzene, xylene, toulene, phenol, cresol, other aromatic compounds, ammonia and peroxides. It acts as a local irritant and mainly effective in the treatment of skin infections such as psoriasis, dermatitis etc.

Indications

Coal Tar is primarily indicated in conditions like Atopic dermatitis, Chronic eczema, Dandruff, Psoriasis, Seborrheic dermatitis.

Contraindication

Coal Tar is contraindicated in conditions like Inflammed or broken skin.

Side Effects

Coal Tar produces potentially life-threatening effects which include Skin cancer. which are responsible for the discontinuation of Coal Tar therapy.The symptomatic adverse reactions produced by Coal Tar are more or less tolerable and if they become severe, they can be treated symptomatically, these include Allergic reactions, Photosensitivity, Contact dermatitis, Folliculitis, Irritant reactions, Bacterial eruptions, Acneform eruptions.

Warnings

Coal tar preparations should not be applied to patients with skin abrasion or skin that is inflamed, broken, or infected because exacerbation of the condition can occur and systemic absorption of the drug can be enhanced. Sunlight (UV) exposure should be avoided for at least 24 hours following application of coal tar preparations, unless otherwise directed by a physician, because a photosensitivity reaction can occur. In addition, development of cutaneous viral infections is possible following UV light exposure. It is classified as pregnancy category C and sould be used during pregnancy and breast feeding only when clearly needed.

High Risk Groups

If prescribing authority justifies the benefits of the drug against the possible damages he/she should reevaluate them and consult the reference material and previous studies.