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Assessment of information and education about topical corticosteroids in dermatology outpatient departments: experience from Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Topical corticosteroids are commonly used in dermatological practice. The aim of this study was to assess the baseline level of knowledge about topical steroids in a group of dermatology patients and to evaluate the impact of educational materials on patients' level of information. METHODS: A 10-item questionnaire was developed, and 126 patients who were prescribed topical steroids for several dermatologic diseases were asked mostly about side-effects of the drugs. Three different educational methods were used in parallel to the questionnaire: verbal (n = 42), written (n = 42) or verbal and written (n = 42). The same questions were asked again 1 or 2 weeks later. RESULTS: Only 7.1% of the study group mentioned that they were informed by doctors about the side-effects of topical steroids before they were administered. The baseline information scores about topical corticosteroids were higher in high school and college graduates and in those who noted side-effects or who were informed about side-effects before administration. A statistically significant difference was detected between pre- and posteducation scores of patients in the whole group and within the three groups of different educational methods (P < 0.001). Posteducation scores of the combined verbal- and written-educated group were higher than the written-educated group or the verbal-educated group. CONCLUSION: The present study indicated that patient knowledge is enhanced by any kind of educational method, and particularly written information supported by verbal instructions given in dermatology outpatient departments. Moreover, we conclude that the 10-item questionnaire can be used in Turkey to assess patients' knowledge about topical corticosteroids.

Administration, Topical↗

A screening questionnaire for body dysmorphic disorder in a cosmetic dermatologic surgery practice.

BACKGROUND: Dermatologic surgeons frequently see patients with body dysmorphic disorder, a distressing or impairing preoccupation with a nonexistent or slight defect in appearance. Recognition of this disorder is essential to avoid unnecessary and generally unsatisfying surgical outcomes, but no screening tools are available for use in a dermatology setting. OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a brief self-report questionnaire to screen for body dysmorphic disorder in dermatology settings. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed and its sensitivity and specificity determined in 46 subjects, using a reliable clinician-administered diagnostic interview for body dysmorphic disorder. The interrater reliability of a defect severity scale was also determined (n = 50). RESULTS: The self-report questionnaire had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93%. The interrater reliability (ICC) of the defect rating scale was.88. CONCLUSIONS: This brief questionnaire was a highly effective screening tool for body dysmorphic disorder in a cosmetic dermatology setting. Use of this questionnaire may help identify patients with this syndrome.

Adolescent↗

Pediatric anesthesia in dermatologic surgery: when hand-holding is not enough.

BACKGROUND: Dermatologic procedures in children may require the use of topical and local anesthetics, sedatives, and general anesthesia. OBJECTIVE: To review developments in topical and local anesthetics, sedatives, and general anesthesia relevant to dermatologic procedures in children. METHODS: Review of the medical literature. RESULTS: Topical anesthetics, including EMLA and liposome-encapsulated lidocaine cream, amethocaine, cetacaine, and benzocaine products may be useful for decreasing the pain of cutaneous procedures including intra-lesional lidocaine infiltration. A variety of sedative and hypnotic agents may be utilized for pediatric dermatology procedures, and guidelines for their appropriate use have been published. General anesthesia for dermatologic procedures in the pediatric population is appropriate for a variety of procedures including laser treatment of capillary malformations. CONCLUSION: A variety of anesthetic, analgesic, and sedatives may be useful for pediatric cutaneous surgery.

Analgesics↗

Beauty versus medicine: the nonphysician practice of dermatologic surgery.

BACKGROUND: This investigation was initiated because of a growing concern by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery about the proliferation of nonphysicians practicing medicine and its impact on public health, safety, and welfare. OBJECTIVE: Prompted by an alarming rise in anecdotal reports among dermatologic surgeons, the study sought to determine whether there was a significant increase in the number of patients seeking corrective treatment due to complications from laser and light-based hair removal, subsurface laser/light rejuvenation techniques, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, injectables, and other cosmetic medical/surgical procedures performed by nonphysicians without adequate training or supervision. METHODS: A survey of 2,400 American Society for Dermatologic Surgery members in July 2001 and in-depth phone interviews with eight patients who experienced complications from nonphysicians performing cosmetic dermatologic surgery procedures were conducted. RESULTS: Survey data and qualitative research results attributed patient complications primarily to "nonphysician operators" such as cosmetic technicians, estheticians, and employees of medical/dental professionals who performed various invasive medical procedures outside of their scope of training or with inadequate or no physician supervision. CONCLUSION: The results underscore the need for improved awareness, legislation, and enforcement regarding the nonphysician practice of medicine, along with further study of this issue.

Allied Health Personnel↗

[The use of high dose intravenous immunoglobulins in dermatology].

High dose intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) are important agents in the treatment of numerous diseases in rheumatology and dermatology. Because the diseases treated with IVIG are rare, their use is mostly not based on controlled randomized trials. Since the high costs of therapy often prohibit the use of IVIG as first line therapy and as there are no guidelines on the use of IVIG in dermatologic diseases, a consensus conference was held in Wiesbaden, Germany, to address these issues. This manuscript documents the expert consensus on the use of IVIG in dermatology and reflects current clinical practice. It should be a guideline for the practitioner for the use of IVIG in dermatologic diseases.

Dermatology↗

A comparison of hourly block appointments with sequential patient scheduling in a dermatology practice.

BACKGROUND: There is significant demand for dermatologic care, and manpower is limited. Increasing patient encounters stress office processes. Analyses of the effects of schedule manipulation in a high-volume dermatology office have not been described. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to study the effects of block versus sequential scheduling on patient waiting times, length of patient encounters, and physician patient-free time in two busy dermatology clinics. METHODS: A dermatologist attended at two dermatology clinics, one using sequential patient scheduling and the other, block hourly scheduling. Time of patient arrival, scheduled appointment time, waiting time, time of physician entry into the examining room, face-to-face time with the physician, appointment type, number of same-day cancellations and nonattendance by visit type, length of each clinic, time of clinic closure, and patient-free time were recorded for each clinic and patient encounter. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between patient waiting times at the two clinics. Patients were seen by the physician a mean of 2.6 minutes before their scheduled appointment time using block scheduling of appointments and 6 minutes after their scheduled appointment times with sequential scheduling. Similar times were spent by the physician with the patients at both sites. After adjustment for differing nonattendance rates, block scheduling yielded 330 minutes of additional patient-free time during the course of this study when compared with sequential scheduling. With block scheduling, the clinic finished a mean of 35 minutes earlier than clinics using sequential scheduling. CONCLUSION: Within the parameters of this study, block scheduling did not significantly affect patient waiting times. Block scheduling created more patient-free time for the physician and clinical staff than did sequential scheduling. Block scheduling increased the quality of the practice environment from the perspective of the physician and the staff.

Appointments and Schedules↗

Telemedicine for dermatology care in rural patients.

BACKGROUND: Rural patients who develop dermatologic disorders often do not seek specialty care because of multiple logistical and economic factors. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of teledermatology consultations on the cost of care for a given episode of illness. METHODS: Telemedicine records were reviewed for 119 visits by 87 patients referred for teledermatology consultation over a 17-month period. RESULTS: Seven patients (8%) required follow-up in the dermatologist office for extended care, while 20 patients (23%) (52 visits) underwent follow-up teledermatology evaluation. The average duration of the dermatologic condition for each patient prior to the telemedical consultation was 17 months. The average of care for the diagnosed dermatologic condition, for all patients during an average period of 8 months prior to teledermatology was $294, compared with $141 for the 6 months after diagnosis by teledermatology. CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine can be effective for dermatology consultation in new patients referred from rural communities. Our data indicate teledermatology can decrease the cost of care for the diagnosed condition.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

Dermatologic manifestations of Crohn disease in children: response to infliximab.

Dermatologic extraintestinal manifestations of Crohn disease may be refractory to treatment with corticosteroids and immunomodulators. The authors describe four children with Crohn disease with dermatologic manifestations: pyoderma gangrenosum, orofacial involvement, erythema nodosum, and idiopathic lymphedema. These dermatologic conditions were unresponsive to conventional therapy but had rapid and sustained response to the anti-TNF-alpha antibody infliximab. No adverse reactions occurred. Infliximab should be considered for treating the extraintestinal dermatologic manifestations of Crohn disease in children.

Adolescent↗

Use of and beliefs about baseline photography in the management of patients with pigmented lesions: a survey of dermatology residency programmes in the United States.

Medical photography is often used in dermatology to aid in the clinical surveillance of patients with pigmented lesions. This study aimed to assess the utilization, logistics, rationale and beliefs about the usefulness of baseline photography in patients with pigmented lesions by physicians in dermatology residency programmes, and to compare current utilization to that reported in the last decade. Questionnaires were mailed to directors of all accredited dermatology residency programmes in the United States (n = 105). Eighty-three physicians responded to the questionnaire (79%). Utilization of total body and individual lesion photography was reported by 63% and 75% of the respondents, respectively; 16% of the respondents did not use any method of photography. Reasons for using photography included the following beliefs: that it helps detect early melanoma, it results in fewer biopsies, and it reduces patient anxiety. Financial and logistical constraints were reasons why some programmes were not utilizing photography. Thus baseline photography is currently used in a majority of academic dermatology programmes as an aid in the early detection of melanoma.

Dermatology↗

Dermatology in Germany.

In Germany, dermatology has a long tradition as a medical specialization. The first dermatological university departments were established about 120 years ago. From the beginning, venerology was integrated in this field. Today it also covers andrology, allergy, medical cosmetology, mycology, dermatosurgery, phlebology and photodermatology. This broad spectrum more and more gives rise to competition with other medical fields. About 77% (n = 3281) of all German dermatologists (n = 4240 in 1997) work in private practices. The others are employed in clinical departments. The official number of working physicians in Germany in 1997 was 343,556; about 1.5% of them were dermatologists. This means that one dermatologist takes care of 20,000 people. The overwhelming majority of dermatological patients directly contacts the specialist and are not referred by general practitioners (GPs) who comprise about 40% of all German physicians. This is a great advantage over those countries in which patients primarily have to consult the GP. At present, there is a discussion initiated by GPs to change this system in Germany and to reestablish the GP's role as "gatekeeper". Dermatologists together with other specialists are trying to prevent this an to maintain the traditional broad spectrum of German dermatology.

Dermatology↗

Dermatological games.

Doctor/patient relationships may not be optimal in medicine in general and in dermatology in particular. The study of the dermatological consultation has been entirely neglected and game analysis may form a useful basis for further study. It is not possible to know whether better communication with patients leads to better responses to treatment, but there is no doubt that better communication leads to better patient compliance with regard to therapy. There are many dermatological games. An insight into these games may not only improve doctor/patient communication, but also make the consultation a much more interesting event for the dermatologist. Once the processes involved in the consultation are understood, the way is open for improvements. The dermatologist should become as interested in the art of practice as he is knowledgeable in the science and clinical features of dermatology.

Adolescent↗

Integrated in-patient and out-patient dermatology management.

The physical integration of out-patient clinics, out-patient treatment and in-patient management areas allows full cohesion and continuity of medical and nursing care of dermatology patients. The conversion of a dermatology ward to an out-patient treatment centre has resulted in major benefits in the daily management of dermatology patients, allowing increased flexibility of care despite a reduction in bed numbers and financial savings. Broad changes in concepts of dermatology management are described and arguments given which may be used in the negotiation for improved facilities.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗

Antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with valvular heart defects undergoing dermatological surgery remains a confusing issue despite apparently clear guidelines.

The guidelines pertaining to prescription of prophylactic antibiotics to prevent endocarditis during dermatological surgery appear clear and well-documented. The British Society for Dermatological Surgery, in agreement with the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, state that antibiotic prophylaxis for endocarditis is not required for routine dermatological surgery procedures even in the presence of a pre-existing heart lesion. Pre-existing cardiac lesions include prosthetic valves, history of bacterial endocarditis, congenital cardiac malformation, rheumatic or other acquired valvular dysfunction, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or mitral valve prolapse with regurgitation. It is important to distinguish between antibiotic prophylaxis for wound infection and that for bacterial endocarditis. Routine procedures, such as punches, shaves, curettage and simple excisions, performed on clean intact skin have an extremely low risk of wound infection (1-4%). The risk of wound infection increases to 5-15% with clean-contaminated skin surgery that includes procedures involving eroded or ulcerated skin, respiratory or buccal mucosa, flexural areas and protracted procedures such as Mohs' micrographic surgery. In such cases, antibiotic prophylaxis may be considered in patients with a cardiac lesion because a wound infection may result in bacteraemia and subsequent endocarditis. This should therefore not be considered 'routine' dermatological surgery. In contaminated, dirty and/or infected classes of wounds the risk of wound infection is higher (> 25%). Elective skin surgery should be postponed if possible until the wound infection is treated with therapeutic antibiotics.

Antibiotic Prophylaxis↗

The frequency and nature of skin conditions seen in a private dermatology practice in central Victoria, 1991-95.

A dermatology diagnostic database was established in order to determine the frequency and nature of skin conditions in a private dermatological practice in Central Victoria, Australia. Between August 1991 and June 1995, a total of 3346 dermatological diagnoses were recorded for 3000 new patient presentations. More women (58.9%) were seen than men (41.1%). Dermatitis and tumours of the skin accounted for 50% of new consultation(s), the highest attendance being for solar keratoses (11.9%). The frequency of patients seen was comparable to the previous 1970s survey of private dermatological practice in Australia, with the exception of melanocytic naevi, which was seen with twice the frequency compared to previously. The proportion of patients presenting with dermatitis was higher in the colder seasons of the year (winter and spring compared with summer and autumn). The proportion of people seen with melanocytic naevi was higher in summer and autumn compared with winter and spring. These results illustrate the usefulness of recording clinical patient data in practice as a way of recording patterns of referral as well as having a role in determining causation of disease.

Data Collection↗

Outpatient dermatology major surgery: a 1-year experience in a Spanish tertiary hospital.

INTRODUCTION: The constant increase in the incidence of skin cancer together with the requirement for maximum exploitation of available medical resources has meant that dermatological major surgery on an outpatient basis has greatly increased in recent years. OBJECTIVE: This article reviews the practice of dermatological surgery in an outpatient setting over a 1-year period. Its purpose is to analyse the number of surgical procedures, the type of cutaneous processes treated and the kind of surgical intervention and anaesthesia used. We also assessed the percentage of cancellations, postsurgical hospital admission and postsurgical complications. Clinicopathological correlation and complete tumour removal were also evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our clinical experience of major surgery of outpatients at the dermatology department of the Hospital Juan Canalejo in A Coruña (Spain), analysing 565 patients in a non-randomized pilot study running from January to December 2003, is presented. RESULTS: Six hundred and forty-four surgical procedures were performed on a total of 565 patients. The three main cutaneous processes treated were basal cell carcinoma (240), squamous cell carcinoma (117) and melanoma (77). The most frequent type of procedure was direct closure (346), followed by exeresis and flap (133) and partial- or full-thickness skin graft (29), nail apparatus surgery (56) and lip surgery (33). Twelve patients were admitted to hospital after surgery owing to the complexity of their operations or to complications arising during surgery. Five hundred and fifty-three patients were discharged after being kept under observation for a few hours. Seventeen patients (3%) suffered complications following surgery, which consisted of partial implant failure (six cases), infection of the surgical wound (six cases), intense pain (four cases) and haemorrhage (one case). There was a good clinicopathological correlation in 90.78% of non-melanoma skin cancers, of which 92.03% were completely removed. CONCLUSIONS: Medium and high complexity operations for dermatological processes, traditionally performed on hospitalized patients, can be conducted on an outpatient basis. This allows hospitalization costs and waiting lists to be reduced and affords the possibility of achieving better morbidity rates and medical care than in the standard hospital setting.

Ambulatory Surgical Procedures↗

Dermatologic surgery of the hand. General principles and avoiding complications.

Dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons are frequently presented with significant pathology of the hand. Because the hand plays such a unique and important role in man's everyday life, preservation and restoration of its form and function is critical. The hand is both powerful and extremely delicate. Before performing any procedures in this area, dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons must have a clear understanding of the cutaneous and deep anatomy of the hand and digits, as well as a thorough knowledge of the disease process being treated and the modality being used. This article reviews the intricate anatomy, the proper hemostasis and anesthesia, and many of the complications seen in dermatologic surgery and procedures of the hand, digits, and nails. With appropriate preoperative evaluation and precautions, many dermatologic procedures may be safely performed on the hand.

Anesthesia↗

Self-warming lidocaine/tetracaine patch effectively and safely induces local anesthesia during minor dermatologic procedures.

BACKGROUND: Dermatologic procedures often cause some degree of pain. A self-warming patch containing lidocaine and tetracaine (L/T) was developed to provide topical local anesthesia prior to painful procedures. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a self-warming L/T patch to provide anesthesia in adult patients undergoing minor dermatologic procedures. METHODS: An active or placebo study drug was placed on adults 30 minutes prior to minor dermatologic surgical procedures in a prospectively randomized, double-blinded manner. Subcutaneous lidocaine injection was available during the procedure as a rescue medication if requested by the subject. Immediately following the procedure, the subjects, the investigator, and an independent observer rated pain intensity and adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: Patient-reported pain intensity was significantly lower in the L/T patch group (p<.001). Investigators and an independent observer rated the pain in the L/T patch group to be less than in the placebo patch group (p = .004 and p<.001, respectively). Forty-nine percent of patients in the placebo group required rescue subcutaneous lidocaine compared with 22% in the L/T patch study group (p = .008). One patient in the L/T patch group reported a transient moderate burning sensation. CONCLUSION: The self-warming L/T patch was effective in providing clinically useful local anesthesia for minor dermatologic procedures in adult patients.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Increase in procedures performed at dermatology office visits from 1995 to 2001.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few decades, dermatologists have expanded the scope of their practice to include many surgical and cosmetic procedures in response to the development and demand for new procedures. OBJECTIVE: To examine the trend from 1995 in the proportion of dermatology visits associated with procedures to determine if there has been an increase in the number of procedures performed. METHODS: Data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were used to look at the proportion and types of dermatology visits associated with procedures performed during the years 1995 to 2001. RESULTS: There has been a progressive increase in the number of dermatology visits with procedures, occurring in 29.8% of visits in 1995 and 40.0% of visits in 2001. The top procedures performed are that of excision and destruction, including cryotherapy, electrodesiccation and curettage, and biopsies. CONCLUSION: The number of dermatology visits associated with procedures has increased since 1995. With the numerous new procedures and techniques that have emerged and continue to develop in our field, we expect that dermatologists will continue to be providers of medical, as well as surgical, care for the skin.

Ambulatory Care↗