An analysis of adult admissions and deaths in a medical unit in a new teaching hospital in southern Nigeria, 1973–76: possible changing patterns of serious morbidity and mortality in urban adult Nigerians

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
An account is given of 304 adult medical admissions to a single consultant unit in a new Nigerian teaching hospital between 1973-76. Chronic and relapsing disease formed 61% of admissions and deaths. The leading causes of death were neoplasms, chronic renal failure, chronic cardiac disease, cerebrovascular accidents, meningitis and hepatic disease. Comparisons are made with results from other adult medical hospital admissions in tropical Africa. Chronic disease in older patients is becoming more significant in urban Nigerian adults who attend large hospitals and priority should be given to trying to prevent and manage the apparent leading causes of chronic invalidism and death: chronic cardiac disease, chronic renal failure, hepatoma, cirrhosis, tuberculosis and tetanus. The apparent decline of acute infectious disease in medical inpatients may be due partly to ready access to an use of primary care facilities.

This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit: