ABSTRACT
Medical emergencies may occur in any setting, including dermatology offices. We examined the incidence of medical emergencies in a survey of 34 dermatologists northeast Ohio. Fifty-five events occurred over 565 combined years of clinical practice, an incidence of 1 episode every 10.3 years. We also review options for better preparedness for medical emergencies in dermatology practices, ranging from an emergency action plan for emergency personnel, basic life support (BLS) certification, advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) certification, and on-site automatic electronic defibrillators (AEDs).
Subject(s)
Emergencies , Emergency Medical Services/organization & administration , Patient Care Management/organization & administration , Physicians' Offices/organization & administration , Skin Diseases/diagnosis , Adult , Aged , Dermatology/methods , Drug Interactions , Female , Humans , Incidence , Male , Middle Aged , Skin Diseases/epidemiology , Skin Diseases/therapy , Skin Diseases, Bacterial/diagnosis , United States/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
A 4-month-old girl had a proliferating hemangioma of infancy (infantile hemangioma) affecting the chest wall. The lesion had appeared 1 week after birth, demonstrating both superficial and deep components, and was rapidly enlarging. It had become painful and superficially eroded. Treatment with topical 5% imiquimod cream three times a week was associated with signs of involution after 10 days, and complete resolution after 10 weeks of therapy. The treatment was well tolerated.
