Dermatological Morbidity in Patients Hospitalized in a Dermatology Service

Abstract

Introduction: Dermatoses requiring hospitalization represent a clinical challenge due to their severity and associated complications. Updated knowledge on dermatological morbidity leading to hospital admissions is essential to optimize clinical management and healthcare resources.

Objective: To characterize dermatological morbidity in patients hospitalized by the Dermatology Service of the Calixto García Hospital.

Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective study was conducted. All patients admitted during the period were included (census sampling). Medical records were reviewed to analyze the variables age, sex, dermatological condition (confirmed by clinical and histopathological criteria) and complications.

Results: There was a predominance of males (58.57 %) and adults aged 35 to 64 years (54.29 %), with a mean age of 52.3 years; the most frequent individual age group was 35-49 years (30.00 %). Infectious dermatoses were the leading cause of admission (34.29 %), and herpes zoster was the most frequent entity within them (10 % of the total). They were followed by erythema multiforme (15.71 %), autoimmune blistering diseases (12.86 %), with predominance of pemphigus vulgaris (8.57 %), and severe drug eruptions (11.43 %), led by Stevens-Johnson syndrome (7.14 %). Secondary infections exclusively affected the blistering subgroup (33.33 %). Two patients died (2.86 %), both with severe systemic complications: hemorrhagic varicella with disseminated intravascular coagulation and Stevens-Johnson syndrome with septic shock.

Conclusions: Infectious dermatoses, led by herpes zoster, are the main cause of hospitalization, followed by drug eruptions and blistering diseases.