Inpatient care for patients with skin conditions in Poland – hospitalization and patient characteristics

Abstract

Introduction. Over the last few decades, an increasing proportion of skin diseases has been treated in non-dermatology wards. Objective. Identification of the 30 most common dermatologic conditions subject to hospitalization reported by dermatologists and non--dermatologists in Poland. Material and methods. A quantitative analysis of clinical data of the Polish National Health Fund for the year 2018 has been performed. Results. Over 245,000 hospitalizations with regard to skin-related problems were identified, including 99,500 one-day hospitalizations. Seventy-six percent of all hospitalizations were reported in non-dermatology departments, 27% of which required a surgical procedure. Dermal infections (L03, L02, L05, A46, B08, B02) and skin tumors (D21, D23, D17, C44) were the most common reasons for hospitalization, accounting for over 30% of all hospital stays, frequently in general surgical wards. Non-dermatology wards (mostly surgical and pediatric) reported a significant proportion of emergency admissions due to cellulitis, urticaria, lower extremity ulcers, erysipelas, pressure ulcer, viral infections, and thermal and chemical burns of the trunk. Systemic connective tissue diseases were mostly treated by rheumatologists. The diseases most frequently treated by dermatologists were psoriasis (33.5% of all admissions), dermatitis (23.8%), malignant skin neoplasms (12.5%), non-malignant skin neoplasms (10.5%) and lower extremity ulcers (L97) (10.5%). Patients in dermatology wards were older than those in non-dermatology ones (52.3 years versus 42.8 years respectively, p < 0.001). The average length of stay (ALOS) was 5.1 days, but patients in dermatology wards stayed longer (p < 0.001). Conclusions. A higher number of dermatosurgeons and dermatologists as hospital consultants might help ensure better use of inpatient facilities.