title: [Analysis of unofficial consultations in a tertiary-level hospital].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dermatologists are regularly consulted in their place of work by patients without an official appointment (individuals accompanying other patients, doctors from other specialties, hospital workers, etc).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the characteristics of consulting patients, reasons for consultation, severity of complaint, diagnostic and therapeutic approach taken, and level of care provided by the consulted professionals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The typical patient would be a middle-aged female nurse consulting for the first time for a benign melanocytic lesion. In general, the dermatologist will take an empirical or informative therapeutic approach and consider the care provided to be similar to that offered to patients with an official appointment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unofficial appointments, although commonly for trivial complaints, represent an additional workload in daily clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Clínico San Cecilio, Granada, España. almazanweb@yahoo.es
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Almazán-Fernández
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clemente-Ruiz De Almirón
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arias-Santiago
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: El-Ahmed
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Carrascosa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naranjo-Sintes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003880:Dermatology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006782:Hospitals, Special / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000175:diagnosis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult