Dermatological Emergencies in Critical Care

Non-burn dermatologic emergencies are associated with high morbidity and mortality, which can be lowered by multidisciplinary care at a burn center. However, because of the sparse distribution of these institutions, intensivists at non-burn centers typically provide the initial management and triage of these patients. This can be particularly challenging because of the absence of standardized guidelines for triaging these patients. This Focused Review provides triage criteria and a framework for the clinical management of common non-burn dermatologic emergencies. It includes guidance on airway management, fluid resuscitation, nutrition, thermoregulation, and wound care, as well as an overview of the most frequently encountered non-burn related skin emergencies.

This content is free for users with an active ATS Membership.

Target Audience

Pulmonologists, critical care specialists, translational researchers, and clinicians

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, learners should be able to:

  • Identify appropriate transfer criteria to burn centers for patients with non-burn skin failure syndromes.
  • Identify and differentiate between non-burn dermatological emergencies on the basis of clinical presentation and disease course.
  • Plan appropriate initial treatment plans for dermatologic emergencies (e.g., fluid resuscitation, wound care, and infection prevention) while awaiting transfer to a burn center.
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
    The American Thoracic Society designates this for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 1.00 Participation
Publication Date: 
07/01/2025
Credit Expires: 
07/01/2027
Cost:
$25.00
Rating: 
0

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Accreditation Statement

The American Thoracic Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Disclosure Declaration

Article Authorship Disclosures (as submitted to the ATS prior to article publication date)

Maya Haouili, M.D. (Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Samantha H. Seward, M.D. (Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Anna C. Eden, M.D. (Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Jenny K. Kim, M.D. (Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Lauren E. Pavlik, M.D. (Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Occupational Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Sarah A. Seyffert, M.D. (Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Occupational Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Joseph P. Smith, M.D. (Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Occupational Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Muhammad A. Rishi, M.D. (Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Occupational Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported a leadership role as the Chair of the Public Safety Committee of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Lawrence A. Mark, M.D., Ph.D. (Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Brent A. Bagley, M.D. (Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

W. Graham Carlos, M.D. (Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN), reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Off-Label Usage Disclosure

None

Disclosures of AnnalsATS CME Planners

The Annals of the American Thoracic Society (AnnalsATS) publishes original research, commentaries, reviews, and educational content of interest to clinicians and clinical investigators in pediatric and adult pulmonary and sleep medicine and medical critical care. The scope of the journal encompasses content that is applicable to clinical practice, the formative and continuing education of clinical specialists, and the advancement of public health.

The publication of articles that meet these goals by itself is only one step in a multi-step process for the translation of evidence-based improvements to clinical practice. Testing for CME credit is designed to function as a next step in the process. This is accomplished through a series of questions written by the author(s) to test that readers have the tools needed to translate recommendations for diagnostic and therapeutic clinical care into clinical practice. Members of the AnnalsATS editorial board review these questions and edit these questions for clarity, educational content, and the quality of the evidence supporting the response to the question.

AnnalsATS CME Planners

Margaret M. Hayes, M.D.
Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
Dr. Hayes reported receiving payments as an author for a chapter on heliox for UpToDate. 

Caroline Okorie, M.D., M.P.H.
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford CA, USA
Dr. Okorie reported no financial relationships with ineligible companies.

All relevant financial relationships have been reviewed and mitigated.

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Available Credit

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
    The American Thoracic Society designates this for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 1.00 Participation

Price

Cost:
$25.00
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