Prospective Analysis of Skin Findings in Surgical Critically Ill Patients Intensive Care Unit

Intensive Care Units (ICUs) are places where critically ill patients are managed.

We aimed to investigate skin disorders that developed in critically ill surgical patients during their stay in the ICU.

The prevalence of dermatological disorders and factors affecting their clinical features was prospectively analyzed in surgical ICU patients. We recorded age, sex, type of ICU, comorbidities, skin disorders, time to consultation, duration of ICU stay, and mortality rate.

Our study included 605 patients (mean age of 60.1 ± 20.2 years; 56.4% males). Seventy-three (12.1%) patients were consulted with the Dermatology Department, among which 28.8% had infectious dermatological lesions, 26% dermatoses, and 45.2% drug reactions. The most common infectious dermatological disorder was wound infection (55.6%), the most common drug reaction was maculopapular drug eruption (75.8%), and the most common dermatosis was frictional blisters (47.4%). Multiple comorbidities, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, Parkinson disease, and stroke increased dermatological disorders (P < 0.05). The consulted patients had a median ICU stay of 7 days (range 2-53 days); consultation was significantly more common when it exceeded 10 days (74% vs. 26%, P < 0.05). The consulted patients died more commonly (P < 0.05). Infectious dermatological disorders and dermatoses were more common in patients older and younger than 50 years, respectively (P < 0.05). Dermatoses were more common among women (P < 0.05). The median time to consultation was 6 (2-30) days; it was longest for dermatological infections and shortest for dermatoses (P < 0.05). Infectious dermatological disorders were significantly more common among the deceased patients (P < 0.05).

Multiple factors including multiple comorbidities, duration of ICU stay, time to consultation, and mortality increase dermatological disorders among surgical ICU patients.