Risk Factors for Delayed Diagnosis of Scabies in Hospitalized Patients From Long-Term Care Facilities

BACKGROUND: Delayed diagnosis of scabies can cause an institutional outbreak, which causes considerably economic burden to control. This study was to find the risk factors for delayed diagnosis of scabies in hospitalized patients from long-term care facilities. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the hospitalized patients from long-term care facilities, diagnosed to have scabies between January 2006 and December 2008. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for delayed diagnosis of scabies. RESULTS: A total of 706 episodes with scabies were identified retrospectively in 399 hospitalized patients from long-term care facilities. Of these, 44 episodes were considered as delayed diagnosis of scabies. These patients were more associated with chronic usage of steroid (73% vs. 10%, P < 0.001) and had longer duration of hospitalization than the others (30 vs. 13 days, P < 0.001). After logistic regression, steroid therapy was the risk factor of delayed diagnosis of scabies (odds ratio: 23.493). CONCLUSIONS: In the patients from long-term care facilities, clinical physicians should pay more attention to those with chronic usage of steroid to avoid delayed diagnosis of scabies. KEYWORDS: Scabies; Delayed diagnosis; Risk factor; Long-term care facility