Application site reaction

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Application site reaction
52-year-old male patient with severe contact dermatitis and severe pain at the application site of a 15mcg/hr buprenorphine transdermal (Norspan) patch.
SpecialtyDermatology

Application site reactions are reactions to medical treatments which occur at the site of application. An example is skin reactions to transdermal patches.[1]

These reactions may be caused by:

  • Irritant (non-allergic) reactions — the most common type, caused by direct skin irritation from adhesives, solvents, or the drug itself.[2].
  • Allergic reactions — usually allergic contact dermatitis, a delayed hypersensitivity immune response to an allergen such as patch adhesive, excipients, or the active drug.[3]
  • Mechanical forces

Some application site reactions are neither allergic nor irritant in immunologic terms, but result from friction, occlusion, pressure, or repeated removal trauma.[4]

  • Local inflammatory injection unrelated to allergy

Implants may trigger localized redness, swelling, pain, or induration due to nonspecific inflammation rather than allergy.[4]


See also

References

  1. "Transdermal Medications". NCBI Bookshelf (StatPearls). 2024. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  2. Brown, Tracy J.; Terlizzi, Emily P. (2024). Transdermal Medications. StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  3. Quaglino, P.; Fava, P.; Bernengo, M. G. (2019). "Contact dermatitis due to transdermal therapeutic systems: a clinical update". Dermatitis. 30 (2): 95–104. PMC 6502158. PMID 30939508. Retrieved 2026-04-13.
  4. "Contact Dermatitis". MSD Manual Professional Edition. Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC. Retrieved 2026-04-13.