Dermatology emergencies: handy hints for the acute medical team

Abstract

This article will help the general physician recognize and manage acute dermatology presentations. This can be challenging for non-dermatology doctors owing partly to the difficulty in providing an extensive dermatology undergraduate education and the lack of exposure to dermatology patients. The problem is further compounded at many hospital trusts because of the lack of on-site dermatology 'on-call'. The general physician must be able to recognize dermatology emergencies in order to provide initial management and maintain appropriate referrals to acute dermatology services. The emergency presentations discussed are erythroderma, life-threatening drug eruptions, cutaneous vasculitis, eczema herpeticum and bullous disorders.