Profile of contact dermatitis in the inpatient department of Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya

Background: Contact dermatitis (CD) is a common inflammatory skin disorder triggered by exposure to external substances, resulting in immune responses and skin or mucosal inflammation. CD is categorized into allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and irritant contact dermatitis (ICD), with CD accounting for 70-90% of skin diseases. Of these, 80% are ICD and 20% ACD. In Indonesia, the prevalence of dermatitis is 6.78%, with ICD comprising 66% and ACD 34%.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical profile of CD patients admitted to the inpatient department of Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya, during the years 2020-2021.

Methods: This descriptive, retrospective study used total sampling from medical records of all CD patients admitted to the hospital who met the inclusion criteria.

Results: The number of contact dermatitis patients found was 44 patients, ACD was the most common type (61.36%), and the majority of patients stayed for 0-7 days (45.45%). Most patients were aged 18-65 years (47.73%) and female (52.27%). Allergens were the primary trigger (50%). Among the patients, 88.64% had no history of allergies, but 97.73% had underlying history. Erythema was the most frequent clinical manifestation (16.48%), predominantly in the genital area (20.34%).

Conclusion: ACD was the predominant form of CD among inpatients, with a high prevalence in females aged 18-65 years. Allergens were the primary trigger, and erythema was the most common clinical presentation, particularly in the genital area.