Dermatology and the acute patient

Dermatological conditions may present acutely in primary care or via the emergency department. In some cases the problem is an acute exacerbation of a pre-existing dermatosis, but in many cases it is a de novo presentation and therefore poses a greater diagnostic challenge for the clinicians involved. While life-threatening dermatoses are relatively rare, the morbidity associated with acute cutaneous disease is high. In both instances, early recognition and intervention is important in achieving disease control. This review aims to outline the most frequent and the most important of these presentations.