Adults with atopic dermatitis (AD) had increased cutaneous, respiratory, multi-organ, and systemic infections, which were associated with a considerable cost burden, according to a recent study. Data from the 2002 to 2012 National Inpatient Sample were analyzed, including an approximately 20% sample of all US hospitalizations (n=72,108,077 adults). Prevalence of serious infections in hospitalized patients with vs without AD, length of stay, cost of care, and inpatient mortality secondary to serious infections were determined. Researchers found:

• The prevalence of serious infections expressed as a percentage was higher in adults hospitalized with than in those without AD (42.1% vs 25.4%).
• AD was associated with 32 of 38 infections examined.
• Associated cutaneous infections included eczema herpeticum adjusted for other predictors: erysipelas and cellulitis.
• Associated respiratory infections included aspergillosis and tuberculosis.
• AD was associated with extracutaneous, multi-organ, and systemic infections, including infectious arthropathy, endocarditis, encephalitis, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.