Prevalent dermatological diseases in primary health care: Care impact, diagnostic challenges and management strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v15i1.50567Keywords:
Primary Health Care, Dermatology, Skin Diseases, Health Care, Unified Health System.Abstract
Objective: To analyze the main dermatological diseases treated in Primary Health Care, discuss the diagnostic challenges faced by multidisciplinary teams, and present evidence-based management strategies. Methodology: This is a narrative literature review conducted through the analysis of scientific articles published between 2007 and 2024, retrieved from the SciELO, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases, as well as institutional documents from the Brazilian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. Results: The findings indicate that skin diseases are among the main reasons for seeking care in Primary Health Care, with inflammatory dermatitis, acne vulgaris, superficial mycoses, and skin infections being the most prevalent conditions. Although most of these diseases can be effectively managed at this level of care, limitations in professional training, diagnostic insecurity, and organizational weaknesses contribute to excessive referrals to specialized services. Strategies such as continuing education, clinical protocols, matrix support, and teledermatology showed positive effects on care quality. Conclusion: Strengthening the clinical capacity of Primary Health Care teams is essential to improve dermatological care resolution, reduce care fragmentation, and reinforce the coordinating role of primary care within health care networks.
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