Pediatric Inpatients Requesting Dermatology Consultation in a Tertiary Care Hospital: Retrospective Analysis of 614 Patients

This retrospective study examined the reasons for dermatology consultations among 614 pediatric inpatients at a tertiary care hospital over a period from January 2014 to June 2020. The most common diagnoses were "rash, unspecified" (16.1%), "exanthematous drug eruption" (8%), "graft versus host disease" (6.5%), and "dermatitis or eczema, unspecified" (5%). Most diagnoses were made based on clinical findings, with 17.7% of patients undergoing a skin biopsy and 5.5% having cultures taken. Treatments varied, with 47.9% receiving topical therapy, 9% systemic therapy, 22% both, and 1.5% undergoing surgical treatments, while 19.7% received no treatment. The study found that the reasons for dermatology consultations and the prevalence of certain conditions differ from previous studies and highlighted the need for accurate diagnosis and management in pediatric dermatology.