Abstract
Among the 42,204 patients hosptalized in the National Kyushu Medical Center (700 beds, located in the central area of Fukuoka City) in the last three years and nine months (2001/1/1–2004/9/30), 712 patients were treated in our dermatology division. Most of them were admitted in the usual manner according to their treatment regimen, but 144 (20.2%) were abmitted on arrival. These patients included 81 females and 53 males, and their age ranged from 4 months to 102 years old. Systemic infections of varicella-zoster virus, herpes simplex (32%), bacteriae (14%), and drug eruptions, drug-related anaphylaxis, and generalized urticaria (12%) were the major causative diseases for urgent hospitalization. We also evaluated 135 the patients who were referred for dermatology consultation during their hospital treatment period among 5,795 inpatients who had been admitted as amergencies to other wards. Such cases were refered not for acute or serious skin manifestations, but rather for chronic skin changes such as seborrheic dermatitis, fungus infections, and decbitus.
