With spring in full swing and warmer days upon us, everyone is heading outdoors.
Gardening, camping, grilling, picnicking, hiking—you name it, and our patients are out there with the grass, bugs, branches, and leaves. And then they show up in our exam rooms with new, peculiar, and often hard-to-describe skin rashes.
Why must dermatology be so confusing? I realize it is not confusing to the dermatology clinicians, but to the rest of us in urgent and primary care who see a smattering of derm during our shifts, it’s not always straightforward. Is it a maculopapular rash? Or wait, are macules and papules the same thing? Or is that a macule and a patch?
If your relationship with dermatology terminology is complicated, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Here is an excellent review chart to demystify dermatology and help you sound like an expert the next time you chart about a new summer rash.