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Suspected viral maculopapular eruptions: an audit of practice
L Baudoux1, S Ingen-Housz-Oro, J Corneille
1Dermatology Department, Henri Mondor Hospital, Créteil, France.
Background:
Consensus is lacking about investigations to be performed for viral eruptions.
Aims:
Audit of investigative practices for viral eruption.
Methods:
Retrospective study of patients hospitalized for viral eruption, divided into 2 groups: suspected viral infection (SV), with a clinical presentation suggesting a specific virus, and nonspecific suspected viral infection (NSV). Investigations of results and costs of virology tests.
Results:
We included 59 patients, 25 in the SV and 34 in the NSV group. Measles was suspected in 21/25 SV patients and confirmed in 20 (95%). The causal agent was confirmed in 6 NSV cases (17.6%), including 2 HIV infections. The median number of virology tests was 7 (1-14) and the median cost was EUR 144, with no significant differences between the 2 groups.
Conclusion:
Virology testing is useful when a putative virus is clinically suspected. HIV serology screening should be systematically performed.
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