Skin lesions in children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit: an observational study

We analysed, by a prospective observational study over a 3-year period, the frequency and character of dermatological symptoms and diseases in children admitted to a tertiary general paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a university hospital. Skin problems were observed in 42 of 1,800 children admitted. There was a large variability in dermatological diseases in the PICU. In the majority (23/42), the skin problem was a dermatological manifestation of an underlying illness that caused admission to the PICU, e.g. infection, vasculitis or drug reaction. In four of the seven children who died, a direct relation between the dermatological disease and the cause of death could be established. Although the number of patients with relevant dermatological problems was limited, we believe that a skilled paediatric dermatologist is able to contribute to the effectiveness of diagnostic and therapeutic processes in paediatric intensive care patients.