title: [Interest of emergency dermatological consultation in a regional hospital].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dermatologists, both as hospital and as resident practitioners, are often requested to see emergencies of their discipline, although appointment planning are already fully booked months in advance. Orleans Regional Hospital (ORH) has opened a department of dermatological emergency consultation to try to help with this issue. A prospective, descriptive and consecutive study on patient characteristics was conducted during its first year operating.
  
  
  METHODS
  In September 2011, we opened a department of dermatological emergency consultation. Reception is skin disorders evaluated by physicians or nurses as "emergencies", according to predefined criteria. Follow-up visits are performed in the afternoon.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within one year, 2209 medical visits were conducted, with an average of 8,7 emergency visits per day. The maximum numbers of patients treated by our dermatological emergency unit in one single morning was 19. Mondays were the busiest day of the week. The average age of a patient attending the department was 33 years, with 29% of pediatric patients (under 15 years old). The majority of patients presented spontaneously (43%), or were referred by general practitioners (25%). Adult and pediatric emergency departments sent 8% of patients. The two main reasons for consultation were rash (48%) and pruritus (16%). Diagnoses observed were mainly infections (24%) and eczema (14%). Scabies accounted for 9% of all diagnoses. In the aftermath of an emergency dermatological consultation, 84 patients were hospitalized, including 74 in the dermatology department of Orleans hospital totalling 505 days of hospitalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The value of a dermatological emergency consultation is well demonstrated in areas where more medical services are available (such as cities with University hospitals available). It is even more justified in areas with a deficit of healthcare service availability such as Central France.
authors.affiliation: Centre hospitalier régional d'Orléans, service de dermatologie, 45000 Orléans, France. Electronic address: adeline.wakosa@chr-orleans.fr.
authors.forename: Adeline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wakosa
authors.forename: Aude
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roussel
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delaplace
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Le Bidre
authors.forename: Raphaëlle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Binois
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valéry
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bens
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Estève
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003880:Dermatology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult