Emergency dermatology: Three-month experience from an Italian academic outpatient clinic during lockdown for COVID-19 pandemic.

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9700070 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1529-8019 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 13960296 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Dermatol Ther Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: July/Aug. 2008- : Hoboken, NJ : Wiley-Blackwell
Original Publication: Copenhagen : Munksgaard, c1996-

COVID-19* ; Dermatology* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Outpatient Clinics, Hospital*; Skin Diseases/*diagnosis ; Skin Diseases/*therapy; Academic Medical Centers ; Adult ; Aged ; Dermoscopy ; Female ; Health Services Accessibility ; Humans ; Italy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Remote Consultation ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors

Dermatology is a field of medicine where urgent cases occur commonly. However, access to specialized emergency dermatology services is very limited. Following the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cessation of all elective dermatology visits was widely urged. Accordingly, in Italy, a country severely affected by the pandemic, various measures were applied and the care at university clinics was limited to urgent cases. Here we retrospectively analyzed data of patients who presented at an Italian academic outpatient clinic reserved only for emergency cases. In total, 252 patients (109 males and 143 females) with a mean age of 55.25 ± 20.99 years were cared for at our clinic during a three-month period. We classified 10 patients (4%) as real emergency cases. Pityriasis rosea was diagnosed in three patients. Many patients sought care for skin cancer screening. In 131 patients (52%) dermoscopic skin examinations were performed. In 39 patients (15%), actinic keratosis or nonmelanoma skin cancer was detected, while melanoma was diagnosed in three patients, two of which were proven later as in situ melanoma. About 111 patients (44%) visited our clinic for other, nonurgent skin diseases. Our results imply that many patients felt that their skin problems required immediate attention, even if this could not be justified. Melanoma care may be considered an emergency care for its highly malignant potential and the possibility of rapid spreading. Adequately taken photos with a dermoscope may be readily read without the presence of specialist in the emergency room to prevent unnecessary delay in diagnosing oncologic skin diseases.
(© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

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Keywords: COVID-19; emergency dermatology; pityriasis rosea; skin cancer-melanoma

Date Created: 20201010 Date Completed: 20210113 Latest Revision: 20210113

20231215

PMC7646024

10.1111/dth.14390

33037759