Next Steps

Follow-up

Each case and each disorder will need different follow-up care. The doctor responsible for your care while in the hospital will decide what sort of follow-up is best for you.

• Wound care: Many of the skin lesions will likely be healed or well on their way to healing by the time you are discharged from the hospital. Keep all healing wounds clean and dry. Use any medications or ointments only as prescribed by the doctor.

• Antibiotics: Antibiotics may be prescribed when you leave the hospital. Take all antibiotics as prescribed, until they are gone. Do not stop taking antibiotics, even if you are feeling better.

• Steroids: Some of these disorders may require long-term steroid pills. Others may only require steroids for a few days or weeks. The doctor may also prescribe a steroid taper—that is, gradually decreasing the amount of steroids you are taking over time, until you are off them completely. Take all steroids exactly as the doctor prescribes. Stopping them suddenly can cause serious side effects and may lead to rehospitalization.