Demand for plastic surgery services via inpatient referrals in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital
Background: Plastic surgery is one of the most collaborative surgical specialties and is also considered the most consulted service in a hospital. Plastic surgeons respond to many medical consults or inpatient referrals, and the comprehensive impact of these services, when they are nonoperative, oft...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2023-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Medicine and Health Development |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ijmhdev.com/article.asp?issn=2635-3695;year=2023;volume=28;issue=2;spage=145;epage=149;aulast= |
| _version_ | 1797824167252328448 |
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| author | Uchechukwu J Achebe Obinna R Okwesili Okechukwu O Onumaegbu |
| author_facet | Uchechukwu J Achebe Obinna R Okwesili Okechukwu O Onumaegbu |
| author_sort | Uchechukwu J Achebe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Plastic surgery is one of the most collaborative surgical specialties and is also considered the most consulted service in a hospital. Plastic surgeons respond to many medical consults or inpatient referrals, and the comprehensive impact of these services, when they are nonoperative, often goes unnoticed. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess the nature of demands of plastic surgery services for admitted patients in a teaching hospital and the specialties and types of patients that benefit from them. Materials and Methods: Clinical records of inpatients evaluated by plastic surgeons were retrieved using a compendium of consults received from other specialties within the hospital over a period of 1 year period. Results: The plastic surgeons received a total of 151 hand-written consults from surgeons, physicians, gynecologists, and pediatricians. The vast majority came from physicians (45.7%) and surgeons (40.4%). Among the physicians, endocrinologists sent the highest number of consults (42.5%). Ulcers constituted the commonest reason for inpatient referrals (66.2%). Over 29% of consults were for patients with primary diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, whereas 13.9% were for head injuries. Conclusions: The demands for the services of plastic surgeons come from virtually all the clinical specialties in a tertiary hospital. The commonest reason for such referral is for their review and management of ulcers. There is a need to utilize telemedicine in reducing the burden of reviewing these patients, especially in large tertiary hospitals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:34:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4f6d62c1350d4bf1a466429e2810d04d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2635-3695 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:34:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Medicine and Health Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-4f6d62c1350d4bf1a466429e2810d04d2023-05-18T06:21:19ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsInternational Journal of Medicine and Health Development2635-36952023-01-0128214514910.4103/ijmh.IJMH_60_22Demand for plastic surgery services via inpatient referrals in a Nigerian Teaching HospitalUchechukwu J AchebeObinna R OkwesiliOkechukwu O OnumaegbuBackground: Plastic surgery is one of the most collaborative surgical specialties and is also considered the most consulted service in a hospital. Plastic surgeons respond to many medical consults or inpatient referrals, and the comprehensive impact of these services, when they are nonoperative, often goes unnoticed. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to assess the nature of demands of plastic surgery services for admitted patients in a teaching hospital and the specialties and types of patients that benefit from them. Materials and Methods: Clinical records of inpatients evaluated by plastic surgeons were retrieved using a compendium of consults received from other specialties within the hospital over a period of 1 year period. Results: The plastic surgeons received a total of 151 hand-written consults from surgeons, physicians, gynecologists, and pediatricians. The vast majority came from physicians (45.7%) and surgeons (40.4%). Among the physicians, endocrinologists sent the highest number of consults (42.5%). Ulcers constituted the commonest reason for inpatient referrals (66.2%). Over 29% of consults were for patients with primary diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, whereas 13.9% were for head injuries. Conclusions: The demands for the services of plastic surgeons come from virtually all the clinical specialties in a tertiary hospital. The commonest reason for such referral is for their review and management of ulcers. There is a need to utilize telemedicine in reducing the burden of reviewing these patients, especially in large tertiary hospitals.http://www.ijmhdev.com/article.asp?issn=2635-3695;year=2023;volume=28;issue=2;spage=145;epage=149;aulast=inpatient referralsmedical consultplastic surgery services |
| spellingShingle | Uchechukwu J Achebe Obinna R Okwesili Okechukwu O Onumaegbu Demand for plastic surgery services via inpatient referrals in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital International Journal of Medicine and Health Development inpatient referrals medical consult plastic surgery services |
| title | Demand for plastic surgery services via inpatient referrals in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital |
| title_full | Demand for plastic surgery services via inpatient referrals in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital |
| title_fullStr | Demand for plastic surgery services via inpatient referrals in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital |
| title_full_unstemmed | Demand for plastic surgery services via inpatient referrals in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital |
| title_short | Demand for plastic surgery services via inpatient referrals in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital |
| title_sort | demand for plastic surgery services via inpatient referrals in a nigerian teaching hospital |
| topic | inpatient referrals medical consult plastic surgery services |
| url | http://www.ijmhdev.com/article.asp?issn=2635-3695;year=2023;volume=28;issue=2;spage=145;epage=149;aulast= |
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