Demographic Characteristics of Patients with Dermatological Complaints in Emergency Departments: A 3-Year Retrospective Study

Abstract

Aim: Data on the characteristics and outcomes of patients presenting to the emergency department with dermatological complaints are limited. This study aimed to provide an overview of the general characteristics and outcomes of emergency department patients with dermatological conditions. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on all emergency department visits related to dermatological conditions extracted from the hospital database of a tertiary adult care center. The preliminary and final diagnoses were reviewed, and demographic and clinical data, including sex, age, diagnosis, and patient outcomes, were collected. Our article was previously presented as an oral presentation at the 11th Intercontinental Emergency Medicine Congress on 16-20 May 2024. Results: Over a 3-year period, 14.956 patients (0.89% of all admissions) presented with dermatological complaints. The mean age of patients was 42 years (range: 19-82 years), and 54.9% (n=8.221) were female. The most common dermatological diagnoses were anaphylaxis, urticaria, cellulitis, and eczema/dermatitis. The overall hospitalization rate was 3.7%. Dermatology-related emergency department presentations were more frequent during evening hours or weekends, accounting for 72.1% (n=10.783) of cases. Notably, only 5.7% (n=852) of the patients required dermatology consultation. Conclusion: The proportion of patients with dermatological issues presenting to the emergency department was relatively low. Despite the predominantly non-urgent nature of these conditions, emergency physicians are typically able to manage them effectively without the need for specialized dermatological consultation.

Keywords

• emergency department
• dermatology-related symptoms
• urgent dermatology