Two‐year analysis of dermatological out‐of‐hours consultations at Frankfurt University Hospital

Abstract

Summary Background In recent years, emergency consultations have become more common in all medical disciplines. In Germany, dermatological out‐of‐hours consultations are handled by emergency practices, emergency departments and tertiary care providers. Little information is available on the reasons for these dermatological consultations. Objectives The aim of this study was to analyze patient characteristics, diagnoses and admission rates resulting from these consultations. Methods We conducted a retrospective study covering two years of out‐of‐hours consultations at a dermatological tertiary referral center. Results A total of 3635 patients presented at the referral center. The most frequent outpatient diagnoses were acute urticaria (13.8 %) and bacterial infections (12.3 %). 83 % of the outpatient diagnoses required the most advanced competence level according to the new German curriculum for undergraduate education of medical students. 405 (11.01 %) patients did not require dermatological treatment, and 430 patients (13.6 %) were admitted to hospital. Most admissions were due to bacterial infections and herpes zoster. Advanced age, pain and fever were associated with a relatively high risk of admission. Conclusions Admission rates at the dermatological tertiary referral center were substantially lower than at interdisciplinary emergency departments. A few diagnoses accounted for more than half of all consultations. These diagnoses are well represented within the new German curriculum.

What is the demand for out‐of‐hours dermatology? A UK‐based region‐wide survey of dermatology demand and provision during the evenings and at weekends

“…Timely review by a dermatologist can help to improve utilization of resources and avoid hospital admission. 4 Patients with serious but nonlife-threatening problems may have better outcomes and faster discharge from hospital if given early appropriate treatment. It may also resolve problems that are preventing discharge of inpatients, thus shortening hospital stays.…”

An Australian tertiary hospital analysis of outpatient dermatology clinical and demographic characteristics

“…13 Nevertheless, worldwide, there are numerous dermatology studies of the characteristics and case mix of inpatients, 14,15 inpatient consults [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] and emergency patients. [25][26][27][28] The focus of these studies is on assessing disease case mix by variables such as age, sex and season.…”

Dermatologische Lehre für Medizinstudierende: ein Scoping Review publizierter Interventionsstudien

“…Dermatologische Erkrankungen sind ein häufiger Anlass für Arztkonsultationen. Neben dermatologischen Fachärzten werden insbesondere Hausärzte, aber auch Ärzte anderer Fachrichtungen oft mit Erkrankungen der Haut konfrontiert [1]. Dies macht Grundkenntnisse der Dermatologie für nahezu alle praktizierenden Ärzte notwendig.…”