A CROSS SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF TYPES & FREQUENCY OF PRESENTING COMPLAINTS BROUGHT BEFORE DERMA TOLOGISTS IN HYDERABAD, PAKISTAN

Background: Disorders of the skin, hair, and nails fall within the remit of a dermatologist. The specialty is divided broadly into medical and surgical fields, with clinicians in secondary care often practicing both. Dermatologists are becoming one of the most often visited clinicians as the awareness about the impact of skin diseases and the crucial role of 'skin specialist' is growing widely in general population. Objective: No matter how well trained a clinician; the work burden often undermines the capacity to work effectively. However, the spectrum of patient visits to the dermatologists, the reasons and types of problems, if known, can help make good predictions of the future patient influx & help the clinicians prepare beforehand & be able to deal with the workload effectively. Methods: This observational cross-sectional city wide survey was conducted in Hyderabad. Secondary data was derived from clinic records about patient inflow & their disease classification and frequency along with demographic variables. Primary data was also collected from June to August 2014 using structured self administered questionnaires at Civil Hospital. Results: The most common complaint that patients were presented with was itching (56.7%), followed by complaint of cosmetic worry (29.3%) and pain (14%). The disease classification was diverse but the top 3 diagnosed problems were Pyoderma (19%), Fungal Infection (15.3%) and Acne (12%). The most troubling anatomical area for the patients was the face that brought in 19.3% of the patients. 15.3% of the patients interviewed expressed un-satisfaction towards the health care provided mainly due to the long queues and waiting hours at the clinics. Conclusion: Although satisfactorily manageable (84.7%) at present, the ever increasing patient base of dermatology clinics can get out of hand in the near future. Steps need to be taken to ensure timely health care to the populations which include training clinicians to deal with the impending workload effectively. Key words: Dermatologists, clinician and Pyoderma.