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Characteristics of Pediatric Visits to the Emergency Department With Dermatological Complaints

Katherine Homme1,2, Tomas Leng2,3, James Jim L Homme1,2,3

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine.

Pediatric Emergency Care
|June 2, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Most pediatric emergency department visits for skin conditions are not urgent, with physicians accurately diagnosing most cases. Photo app use in the emergency department was linked to higher triage urgency and longer illness duration.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Dermatology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Health Informatics

Background:

  • Dermatological diseases account for a significant portion of emergency department (ED) visits.
  • Pediatric dermatological complaints in the ED are understudied.
  • Accurate diagnosis and efficient resource utilization are crucial in pediatric emergency care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize pediatric ED visits for dermatological complaints.
  • To investigate the utilization of photo applications during these visits.
  • To assess diagnostic concordance between initial ED diagnosis and follow-up.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of pediatric patients (≤18 years) with dermatologic concerns in an academic ED.
  • Data collected from May 2022 to April 2023.
  • Logistic regression used to analyze factors associated with photo app use.

Main Results:

  • Rash, burns, and cellulitis were the most common diagnoses.
  • Photo applications were used in 38% of encounters.
  • Higher Emergency Severity Index (ESI) categories (2 and 3) and longer illness duration (>1 week) were associated with photo app use.
  • Diagnostic concordance at follow-up was 68%.

Conclusions:

  • The majority of pediatric dermatological ED visits are non-urgent.
  • Emergency physicians demonstrate accuracy in diagnosing most pediatric skin conditions.
  • Photo app utilization is associated with specific patient triage and illness characteristics.
Abstract

Keywords:
dermatological complaintsfollow-uppediatricsphoto app

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