Skin disorders are present in many patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit. They range in severity from being the reason for admission to being a nuisance acquired during care These cutaneous problems have been categorized into four groups: (1) serious skin diseases that may incur life-threatening complications; (2) subtle skin findings associated with systemic disorders that may be characterized by critical events; (3) prominent cutaneous manifestations that accompany life-threatening systemic diseases: and (4) skin disorders that develop as complications during intensive care. Diseases in the first category are discussed in this article. Diseases in the second category will be discussed in Part II. The remaining disorders will be covered in Parts III and IV.
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