Clinical Evaluation of Dermatologic Consultations in Psychiatric Inpatients

Lee, Dong Yeup; Kim, Myoung Shin; Lee, Un Ha; Hahm, Jeong Hee

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The need for dermatological consultations for hospitalized patients has gradually increased and there are a number of dermatoses caused by underlying psychological conditions. However, the data regarding the analyses of these consultations for psychiatric inpatients are limited.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the demographics and the type of dermatoses among inpatients with primary psychiatric diseases.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 581 consultation reports for inpatients referred by the Department of Psychiatry between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014.
RESULTS
The proportion of the consulted patients from the Department of Psychiatry was 25.9% (331 consulted inpatients/1279 psychiatric inpatients). The most common age group was the 40~49 year-old group (19.3%) and the male to female ratio was 1:1.14. There were no remarkable findings regarding the annual or seasonal distribution. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), the most common underlying psychiatric disorders were mood disorders (41.0%), followed by schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (25.0%), and substance-related disorders (12.1%). The most frequent skin disorders were eczematous dermatoses (34.6%) and infectious dermatoses (32.2%); dermatomycosis (20.8%) was especially common. The most common reasons for consultation were new-onset dermatologic problems (68.5%), followed by persistence or aggravation of pre-existing dermatologic disorders (28.7%).
CONCLUSION
This study reports the dermatologic characteristics of psychiatric inpatients. We conclude that dermatologists and psychiatrists need to be concerned about the education and continuous management of various skin diseases in psychiatric patients.