A Statistical Analysis of Dermatologic Consultation in Nondermatologic Inpatients

Kim, Moon Jung; Cho, So Yun; Whang, Kyu Kwang; Hahm, Jeong Hee

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Dermatologic practice occurs mainly in the outpatient setting. The reasons for, frequency, and impact of inpatient dermatologic consultation may be quite different from outpatient practice and there has been a lot of changes in dermatologic consultation recently. Several studies about characteristics of dermatologic consultation have been reported. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of inpatient dermatologic consultation in Ewha womans university hospital for 3 years and also to compare the result of the report in 1991. METHODS: During a period of 3 years (1996.2-1998.3), we prospectively recorded the demographics of the patients for whom consultation was requested, the final diagnosis of the dermatologic service, and the tests necessary to arrive at diagnosis, and reasons for dermatologic consultation. RESULTS: 1) The consulted patients were 1019 among 38,402 inpatients (2.7%). 2) The total number of male and female patients were 547(53.7%) and 472(46.3%), respectively (M:F = 1.2:1). 3) The most frequent age group was the 6th decade(18.4%) and the highest incidence of seasonal distribution was spring. 4) The patients in internal medicine were the most frequently consulted. 5) The most common dermatoses were eczema group, followed by drug eruption, fungal infection, viral infection, acne vulgaris, urticaria, etc. 6) Distribution of dermatoses according to seasons and individual departments was statistically different in various dermatoses. 7) Frequent causes of consultation were as follows : the dermatologic diseases or conditions 68.3%, the diseases related to treatment 12.3%, the skin lesions of systemic diseases 10.0%, the dermatologic tests 3.5%, and admission to other departments with dermatologic diseases 1.9%, respectively. 8) The rate of consultation for drug eruption was increased markedly compared to that of new patients at OPD in 1998. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of inpatient dermatologic consultation in our hospital have been changed and furthermore the characteristics were quite different from that of oupatient practice.