LAUSR

Review the evaluation, management, and treatment of hospitalized autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBD) patients based on the current literature and expert opinion. The cost and prevalence of hospitalization for AIBD patients are increasing in the USA. Many factors associated with hospitalization of AIBD patients are related to patient access to dermatology care. Infections are a major cause for hospital admission among AIBD patients. The use of rituximab, especially early in the disease course, has transformed the outcomes among patients with pemphigus. After reading this review, dermatologists should be more familiar with the inpatient AIBD clinical evaluation, including the medical history, physical examination, and laboratory work-up; the management of complications of AIBD and therapy; and the treatment ladder for selecting a steroid-sparing therapy for AIBD patients.