Critical Care in Dermatology

The subject ‘Dermatology’ has the image of an outpatient specialty with trivial fatality, among the medical fraternity. The term “dermatologic emergency” is often regarded as an oxymoron in the medical world. Dermatology does involve emergencies, despite the general impression that patients with dermatological illnesses never die and never get well, and the specialty is all about applying various colored lotions! Emergency medicine or critical care medicine is a well-established subspecialty of internal medicine. Of late the concept of ‘critical care in dermatology’ is gaining importance as the concept of ‘acute skin failure’ has been increasingly recognized and the need for ‘Dermatology Intensive Care Unit’ is felt. There can be serious, life-threatening skin conditions or complication of diseases or therapy that require immediate intervention in critical care setup. It is necessary to acquire skills in ‘emergency dermatology’, where a dermatologist’s right decision and intervention can make an important difference between life and death. This book is an attempt to fill the gap and present all the necessary inputs for better management of critically ill patients due to dermatological illnesses. Hope this book will contribute to a better image of dermatology as a dynamic and innovative subject.