[Hospitalization due to skin diseases at Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital (Beirut), 1998-2007].

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to determine retrospectively the nature and frequency of dermatological diseases leading to hospitalization at Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital (HDF) in Beirut, between 1998 and 2007 and to compare them with literature data.

PATIENTS &

METHODS

For the patients who were hospitalized in dermatology at HDF, we studied: demographics, diagnosis of hospitalization, length of stay, service, mode of financial support, in-hospital evolution, diagnostic tests and treatment. The data were processed by SPSS program.

RESULTS

Alopecia areata, psoriatic erythroderma, acute urticaria and vasculitic purpura are the top four diagnoses (85% of hospitalizations). The third of the patients was admitted to same day care. The financial support of the hospitalization is based primarily on public insurance (57.6%). Corticosteroids are the most widely used treatment for patients in dermatology hospital with a frequency of 59.8%. The number of hospitalizations peaked at 44 in 2002 and since then has been declining (11 hospitalizations in 2007).

DISCUSSION: Pathologies encountered in hospital are different from those encountered during consultation. Management of skin diseases on an outpatient basis is often insufficient. In the literature, no profile of skin diseases leading to hospitalization is similar to our study.