Clinical features of dermatology-consulted inpatients - Focus on the differences between individual departments

Background: A variety of dermatological disorders develop in hospitalized patients and the need for dermatological consultations is on the rise. Objective: We analyzed 2 years of dermatological consultation data from a tertiary medical center in Korea and compared dermatological problems among individual departments. Methods: We reviewed 3,102 dermatological inpatient consultations by performing a retrospective chart review. Results: Contact dermatitis (11.4%), drug eruption (9.6%), tinea pedis (5.5%), xerotic eczema (5.3%), and seborrheic dermatitis (5.2%) were the 5 dermatological disorders that were most commonly referred to dermatologists. Patients in the allergy and pulmonology departments had higher rates of drug eruptions. Endocrinology- admitted patients, especially diabetic patients, frequently complained of foot dermatitis. The cardiology, gastroenterology, and hematooncology departments referred many patients with purpuric dermatosis to dermatologists. Patients from the surgical departments consulted more frequently consulted contact dermatitis and drug eruptions. The neurology and rehabilitation medicine departments referred more seborrheic dermatitis patients than other departments. Pediatric patients commonly consulted for atopic dermatitis, viral exanthemata, and seborrheic dermatitis. Regardless of department, patients who suffered from severe illness and underwent major surgery developed herpes zoster and cutaneous fungal infections more frequently than other patients. Personal hygiene was closely related to the development of follicular disorders. Conclusion: Dermatologists should be familiar with the diverse dermatological complaints of patients admitted to various departments and be actively involved in the diagnosis, treatment, and education of doctors and patients to improve the quality of inpatient care.