title: The pattern of medical mortalities in a specialist hospital in north-central Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Review of causes of morbidity and mortality in health care facilities is an important exercise which gives a picture of the prevailing disease pattern in the particular community and at the same time looks out for any change in the disease pattern over time. This exercise is a necessary component for planning of the health care needs of the community.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the mortality pattern on the medical wards of the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, a tertiary center located in Lokoja, North-Central Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of medical records of all patients admitted to the medical wards of the hospital over a period of 18 months (December 2008 - May 2010) was carried out. The information recorded from these sources included the age and gender, diagnosis/ cause of death and the duration of admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of six hundred and eighty-four patients were admitted during the period being studied with a predominance of female patients (Female: Male Ratio = 1.07). There were seventy-six deaths (11.1%) during the period in question with HIV and related complications accounting for most recorded mortality (32.9%) closely followed by non-communicable cardiovascular conditions (hypertension, heart failure and CVD) - 28.9%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study clearly shows that HIV infection and its complications remains the leading cause of death despite the advent of HAART. Clearly there is a need to revisit the strategies of HIV prevention and control. Also there is an urgent need to focus on the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Joseph O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Fadare
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Afolabi
keywords: Mortality pattern; Nigeria; causes; medical wards