Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation and UV doses received by patients during four-week climate therapy periods in the Canary Islands
Snellman, E.; Jansén, C.T.; Lauharanta, J.; Kolari, P.
Photodermatology Photoimmunology and Photomedicine 9(1): 40-43
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0905-4383 PMID: 1390124 Document Number: 397735
The ultraviolet (UV) radiation doses received by 270 psoriasis patients were studied during 4-week climate therapy periods in November, March or April in the Canary Islands. The daily total solar UV radiation (ambient radiation load, ARL) was measured using frequent readings with a Robertson-Berger sunburning ultraviolet (SUV) meter. A daily personal radiation load (PRL) was calculated for each patient, using sun exposure diary data. To measure the cumulative UV exposure of particular skin sites (skin site dose, SSD), 10 patients wore polysulphone UV dosimeters. The daily ambient radiation load (ARL) ranged from 2.9 to 8.9 erythemal units (EU); the cumulative ARL for a 4-week treatment period was 182.6 EU. The mean daily personal radiation load (PRL), calculated separately for each week of the treatment period, was from 2.5 to 5.6 EU; the mean total 4-week PRL was 118.0 EU, being about 65% of the ARL. The 4-week cumulative skin site dose (SSD) varied between 22.2 and 63.3% (mean 41.2%) of the corresponding personal radiation load (PRL).