title: Diabetes mellitus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: admissions, complications and outcomes in a large referral hospital.
abstract: METHODS
  The Black Lion Referral Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To document indications for admission, complications and outcomes of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) admitted between 2010 and 2013.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive retrospective study using medical files.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 8048 admissions, 523 (6.5%) had DM; of these, 418 medical records were retrieved: 301 (72%) patients had type 2 and 104 (28%) type 1 disease, with male sex (62%) and older age (median age 60 years) being features of type 2 disease. Main admission diagnoses for type 2 disease were diabetic foot ulcer (39%) and cardiovascular disease (21%); for type 1 disease, it was diabetic ketoacidosis (62%). Hypertension, neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy and diabetic foot accounted for 85% of the 756 existing complications. Overall in-patient mortality was 21%. Of the 89 deaths, 77 occurred among patients with type 2 disease; the main indications for admission were diabetic foot ulcer/gangrene and cardiovascular disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DM, especially type 2 DM, is an important cause of admission to Ethiopia's largest referral hospital. Many patients had already developed disease-related complications at admission, and mortality was high. There is a need to improve awareness about and care for DM in Ethiopia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gizaw
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France ; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Harries
authors.affiliation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Paris, France ; National Tuberculosis Programme, Cotonou, Benin.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ade
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Operational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF-Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tayler-Smith
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Operational Centre Brussels, Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF-Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Firdu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yifter
keywords: Ethiopia; SORT IT; diabetes mellitus; mortality; operational research