Effect of an ointment containing boric acid, zinc oxide, starch and petrolatum on psoriasis.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Petrolatum and Starch in the context of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, published as a randomized controlled trial.

A total of 30 patients participated in the study.

Who Took Part

The study group was 30 patients.

The age groups tagged for this paper are adults, middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Petrolatum and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

As a double-blind Petrolatum study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Petrolatum group a baseline to be compared against.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Administration, Topical, Boric Acids, Drug Combinations, Emollients, Ointments, Petrolatum and Psoriasis.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Petrolatum and Starch in 30 patients in people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1997 (The Australasian journal of dermatology), a journal based in Australia.

More context: Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research.