Prevalence and pattern of dermatological disorders in the pediatric emergency service

Background: Dermatological disorders are common in children. This study sought to describe the prevalence and pattern of dermatological emergencies encountered in the pediatric emergency room (ER). Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with dermatological complaints visiting the pediatric ER at a teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia during the year 2014. Results: A total of 44,162 ER visits were recorded among children aged ≤ 13 years, of which 2070 (4.7%) involved dermatological complaints. Over 80 dermatological conditions were encountered, the most common of which was atopic dermatitis (10.8%), followed by urticaria (9.7%). Categorization of diseases according to etiology revealed that the largest proportion of patients had infectious diseases (25.2%). Rare genetic disorders and life-threatening dermatological conditions were also encountered. A total of 10.5% of patients did not receive a diagnosis. Conclusions: Our study revealed a high frequency and wide spectrum of dermatological disorders in the pediatric ER. Considering the high rate of undiagnosed cases, this study highlights the need to objectively measure physicians’ abilities to diagnose dermatological disorders. Identification of common and potentially dangerous disorders can aid in the development of educational resources for trainees and in the allocation of future resources for the treatment of common conditions.