Pattern of Diseases among Medical Admissions in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Abstract

To determine the pattern of diseases on the medical wards of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), over a - four year period (June 2000 to June 2004) The study was retrospective and data were obtained from the medical registers on the medical wards and the medical records department. Disease conditions and bio-data were recorded and divided into non-communicable and communicable diseases and analyzed by standard statistical methods. There were a total of 3294 admissions, out of which there were 1853 non-communicable diseases (56.20%) and 1441 communicable diseases (43.80%). There were, 1618 males and 1676 females giving a male: female ratio of 1.7: 1. Among the non-communicable category, diseases of the cardiovascular, endocrine and renal systems were the most prevalent, constituting 35.7%, 18.5% and 16.8% respectively. The top ten communicable diseases identified were tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, septicaemia, lobar pneumonia, acute viral hepatitis, chronic liver disease (viral), enteric fever, malaria, urinary tract infections and amoebic liver disease. This study concludes that Port Harcourt bears a double burden of disease having not escaped from the scourge of communicable diseases but inherited the life-style related non-communicable diseases that follow increasing westernization.

Keywords: Medical Admissions; Non- Communicable Diseases; Communicable Diseases; Port Harcourt

The Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 51 (3) 2007: pp. 45-50