Pattern of hospital mortality among diabetic patients in Sudan

Abstract

This study outlines the patterns of mortality among diabetic patients admitted to Police Central Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan, in the period January 1996 to December 1998. During the study period 67 patients died, from a total of 707 hospital deaths, with a mean age at death of 55.75 ± 17.42 years and mean duration of diabetes of 20.1 ± 3.6 years. Diabetic ketoacidosis (25%) and septicaemia (13%) were the commonest causes of diabetic deaths. Other major causes include myocardial infarction (10%), hyperosmolar non-ketotic coma (8%) and end-stage renal disease (8%). Measures to reduce the high mortality rate among our diabetic patients, like diabetic structured education, and early recognition of complications are badly needed. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.