Spectrum of Inpatient Pediatric Dermatology Cases at a Tertiary Health Care Centre in South India

Abstract

Background Dermatologists and pediatricians commonly encounter pediatric dermatology cases in their clinical practice, and the number has risen for the past decade. While numerous studies have addressed adult inpatient dermatology cases, there is a lack of data on the same for the pediatric population. Aim The study aimed to investigate the spectrum and outcomes of inpatient pediatric dermatology cases at a tertiary health care center. Methods This was a hospital-based, cross-sectional study that included children under the age of 16 years with primary skin disorders who were admitted to the pediatric dermatology unit. Patients were categorized into six groups based on their provisional diagnosis for better analysis. Results A total of 105 children were admitted, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.2:1. The average age of admitted children was 5.8 years, with the majority belonging to the school-going age group, accounting for 44% of the patients. Conclusion Inflammatory skin conditions like childhood psoriasis and erythroderma were the most common group of disorders presented to us, followed by hereditary conditions like keratinization disorders and mechanobullous disorders. Pediatric dermatology emergencies (PDEs) require an inter-professional approach for timely intervention and management.