A survey of diabetic patients of all inpatient services in Yekatit 12 Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was made for 6 mo in 1984. There were 121 hospitalizations of 116 diabetics in 3453 admissions to this 305-bed general hospital. Only 39 of the 116 were already known to its diabetes clinic; there were 24 new cases. Mean duration of hospitalization was 21.3 days, and 19.7% of bed use on medical wards during the survey was by diabetics. More than one-third of known diabetics rarely or never saw a physician until incapacitating symptoms or intercurrent illness resulted in hospitalization. Twenty-one (18%) died, one-third of chronic renal failure. I conclude that diabetes mellitus is a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in an Ethiopian hospital, indicating that efficient facilities for outpatient education and stabilization are needed for Ethiopia's diabetics, particularly because inpatient facilities are scarce and resources limited. This is the first report from an African nation of hospitalization patterns of diabetic subjects.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Insulin delivery to Ethiopian diabetic patients.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Diabetes Mellitus↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The clinical pattern of diabetes mellitus in Ethiopians.

Records of 849 consecutive diabetic Ethiopians revealed that 171 had type I diabetes, 462 type II nonobese, 210 type II obese, and 4 drug-induced. Undernutrition (BMI less than 18 kg/m2) was present in 12.9% of patients. Forty percent of all patients require insulin; ketoacidosis has occurred in 7.8%. Diabetes was present 10 yr or less in 73%, only 11% have been diabetic more than 15 yr, and none more than 32 yr. During 7 yr, 66 (7.8%) are known to have died. Renal failure caused 30.3% of known deaths, and ketoacidosis 3%. About 4% of those diabetic 6-10 yr have a clinically significant complication. The incidence of "diabetic triopathy" rose rapidly after 10 yr. Of those diabetic 16-20 yr, 27.7% had nephropathy, 27.7% neuropathy, and 33.3% retinopathy. Hypertension was seen in 12.1% of patients without nephropathy. Cataracts were seen in 1.4% of new diabetic patients, rising to 40.7% in those diabetic more than 20 yr. Peripheral vascular disease was uncommon and myocardial infarctions occurred in eight patients. Thus, "diabetic triopathy," hypertension, and cataracts are frequent in and after the second decade of diabetes in Ethiopians.

Adolescent↗