Dermatological consultations in an observation unit of an emergency department in Italy.

Background: Dermatological emergencies exist and should not be underestimated. On the other hand, many accesses to the emergency department (ED) of patients with dermatological conditions are unjustified.

Objective: Our main objective is to describe dermatological conditions seen in an ED observation unit (EDOU). Secondly, our aim is to identify alarm symptoms and signs of 'true emergencies'.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study, including dermatological patients admitted to EDOU of the University Hospital of San Martino, Genoa, Italy, in 3 years.

Results: Overall 372 patients were studied. The most common condition seen was infection (41.67%) (mainly bacterial), followed by atypical exanthem (13.98%) and vasculitis (11.29%). The highest rate of cases peaked in May (13%); infectious diseases showed two peaks (spring and autumn).

Conclusion: Given constraints involved in health care today, it is crucial to understand which dermatological presentations are 'true emergencies'. In such a scenario knowing the epidemiology of dermatological emergencies and the alarming skin signs and symptoms might be useful.