CAN OUT-PATIENT DEPARTMENT OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL PROVIDE AN INSIGHT INTO THE PREVALENCE OF COMMONEST DERMATOSES?

Objective:  To determine the frequency of five commonest dermatoses among patients presenting to the Dermatology outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary care hospital. Meterials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of Dermatology Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), Peshawar, KP, from January 1st, 2021 to 31st December 2021. Non-probability consecutive sampling technique was used. Ethical approval was taken from the hospital’s ethical committee. Patients of either gender or age were included in this study. The diagnosis was classified according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: A total of 4807 patients were registered for this study. Male patients outnumbered females. The maximum number of patients was 20 to 29 years old. Eczema was the commonest disease, followed by acne. Three hundred eighteen patients, whose diagnosis could not be ascertained in out-patient department, were admitted for establishing a diagnosis or further investigations. Conclusion: An outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital can provide first-hand insight into the prevalence of various dermatological conditions. Keywords: Outpatient department, Skin diseases, Tertiary care hospital