The pattern and burden of in-patient neurologic diseases at a tertiary hospital in southern Ethiopia: A retrospective hospital-based study

Abstract

Background: The burden of neurologic diseases is higher in developing countries where the number of neurologists is lowest. However, the pattern of neurologic admissions in Southern Ethiopia is not known. The objective of this study was to determine the pattern and burden of inpatient neurologic diseases at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Methods: The medical records of all cases admitted with neurologic diseases at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital over a 3-year period were reviewed.

Results: Nine hundred and eighteen patients with mean age of 44 years (SD 18.7) and 1.7:1 male: female ratio were included in the study. Neurologic diseases accounted for 20% of all medical admissions. Non-infectious neurologic diseases were 69.2%. Stroke was the most common neurologic admission (51.5%) followed by infections of the nervous system (30.8%). The overall in-hospital mortality of neurologic diseases was 19.7%.

Conclusion: The burden of inpatient neurologic diseases is high at Hawassa University comprehensive specialized Hospital. Non-infectious neurologic diseases are responsible for the majority of neurologic admissions. Stroke is the commonest cause of neurologic admission followed by infections of the nervous system.