Disease profiles for white and black adult and geriatric patients. An analysis of 2,008 hospital medical admissions.
A prospective analysis of 2,008 discharge diagnoses revealed important differences in disease incidence between black and white adult and geriatric patients treated in the Department of Medicine, Frere Hospital, East London. Among geriatric patients the major differences were the increased incidences among blacks of tuberculosis, pulmonary circulatory disorders and cardiomyopathy, as opposed to ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disorders and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among whites. Among blacks hypertension was less common than had been expected and occurred predominantly in females. Tuberculosis affected 14% of blacks but only 1.6% of whites. It was also the commonest cause of medical deaths and responsible for 31% of deaths of black patients. Analysis of age patterns showed that 68% of whites and 31% of blacks were over 60 years old; 18% of whites and 3% of blacks were over 80 years old. These figures indicate the need to extend hospital facilities for geriatric patients, and for more comprehensive training in geriatric medicine for doctors and nurses.
Morris
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CD
Department of Medicine, Frere Hospital, East London, CP.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013019:South Africa; D044465:White People