P-02 The Epidemiology of Dermatological Diseases at a Jamaican Paediatric Hospital
Author(s):
A Burton , R Pierre , A Clare-Lyn Shue , M Richards-Dawson
Year of Presentation:
2022
Objective: Given the dearth of published data regarding paediatric dermatological conditions in the English-speaking Caribbean, we aimed to characterize the spectrum of conditions presenting to the paediatric dermatology clinics at Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC), Kingston, Jamaica.
Design and Methods: A retrospective, descriptive study was conducted on children (0–12 years) attending outpatient services of the Accident & Emergency Dermatology (during 2012) and the Dermatology Clinic, Outpatient Department (OPD) (2012 to 2016), at the BHC, Kingston, Jamaica. Collated data including demographics and specialist-determined diagnoses were summarized and explored using univariate analyses to determine prevalence of dermatological conditions, patterns of occurrence and any associations of factors.
Results: Skin infections and infestation (42.5%), eczema (27.7%) and the urticarias and erythemas (12.4%) were the most prevalent categories. Fungal infections were the commonest subcategory among infections (23.3%); and tinea capitis (16.5%), atopic eczema (12.2%) and papular urticaria (10.6%) the most prevalent individual diagnoses overall. Infection and infestations (p < 0.05), eczema (p < 0.01) and disorders of skin appendages (p < 0.001) were more frequent among males during 2012. Infections and infestations (p < 0.001) and papulosquamous disorders (p < 0.01) were most prevalent among referrals from the Kingston Metropolitan Area. Eczema comprised 33% of all diagnoses among clients presenting to OPD (2012–2016).
Conclusion: The most common categories of skin diseases presenting to the Paediatric Dermatology clinic are infections and infestations, eczema and urticarias and erythemas. The commonest diseases are tinea capitis, atopic eczema and papular urticaria which highlight need for public health interventions.