The Changing Pattern of Hospital Admission to Medical Wards : Burden of non-communicable diseases at a hospital in a developing country

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the pattern of hospital admissions and patient outcomes in medical wards at Atbara Teaching Hospital in River Nile State, Sudan. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2013 to July 2014 and included all patients admitted to medical wards at the Atbara Teaching Hospital during the study period. Morbidity and mortality data was obtained from medical records. Diseases were categorised using the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coding system. Results: A total of 2,614 patient records were analysed. The age group with the highest admissions was the 56‒65-year-old age group (19.4%) and the majority of patients were admitted for one week or less (86.4%). Non-communicable diseases constituted 71.8% of all cases. According to ICD classifications, patients were admitted most frequently due to infectious or parasitic diseases (19.7%), followed by diseases of the circulatory (16.4%), digestive (16.4%) and genito-urinary (13.8%) systems. The most common diseases were cardiovascular disease (16.4%), malaria (11.3%), gastritis/peptic ulcer disease (9.8%), urinary tract infections (7.2%) and diabetes mellitus (6.9%). The mortality rate was 4.7%. Conclusion: The burden of non-communicable diseases was found to exceed that of communicable diseases among patients admitted to medical wards at the Atbara Teaching Hospital

The Irrational Use of Antibiotics Among Doctors, Pharmacists and the Public in River Nile State, Sudan

Background: Inappropriate antibiotic prescription, dispensing and self-medication are alarmingly high worldwide. The problem is more so in developing countries, including Sudan, where resistance to life-saving drugs is emerging. Objective: to assess the prevalence of irrational use of antibiotics among doctors, pharmacists and the public in River Nile State (RNS), Sudan. Methodology: a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, in March 2014 through April 2014. The study population was 278 individuals, composed of 100 doctors, 78 pharmacists selected randomly from hospitals, pharmacies and health centers, besides 100 adults from the community. Three different interviewer-administered standardized pre-tested questionnaires were used for data collection. Results:antibiotic misuse is common practice among both medicals as well as the public in RNS. This was evidenced by the facts that 92% of doctors prescribed antibiotics without culture and sensitivity results, more than 93% of pharmacists dispensed antibiotics as over the counter medications and that 89% of participants used antibiotics without consulting a doctor. More than 90% of the misused antibiotics werebeta-lactams and macrolides and the most common indication for their use was cough and common cold. Conclusion: Irrational use of antibiotics is a widespread practice in RNS among all stakeholders. Therefore, health care policy makers and care providers should have antibiotic policy and clear to follow obligatory guidelines and to ensure that the public and every prescriber/dispenser conforms to that policy. Moreover, increasing awareness about the appropriate antibiotic use among all stakeholders is of paramount importance

Prevalence of and risk factors for hypertension among urban communities of North Sudan: Detecting a silent killer

Background: Hypertension is a common global health problem in many countries including Sudan. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for high blood pressure (BP) in River Nile State (RNS), Sudan. Materials and Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted by a house-to-house survey; all consented adults from the main four cities, Atbara, Shendi, Ed Damer, and Berber, were interviewed using standardized pretested questionnaire to record medical history, sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics. BP was measured using the standardized technique. Body mass index, waist circumference, and blood glucose were also determined. Results: A total of 954 individuals were included in the study. The mean age was 39.5 ± 16.6 years and 54.3% were females. The prevalence of hypertension was 35.7% and the newly diagnosed cases were 22.4%. Increasing age, low educational level, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and central obesity were found to be risk factors for hypertension. Conclusion: Hypertension is diagnosed in more than one-third of the population living in urban communities of RNS and correlates well with features of the metabolic syndrome

Metabolic control targets in Sudanese adults with type 1 diabetes: A population-based study

Background: Type 1 diabetes is a challenging metabolic disorder for health authorities in Sudan. The objective of this study was to assess the level of glycemic control and to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and complications among individuals with type 1 diabetes in Sudan. Materials and Methods: Individuals with type 1 diabetes, who were having the disease for at least 1 year, were invited to participate in this study. Data were collected from two diabetes centers, in the Capital Khartoum and Atbara City, North of Sudan. Participants were interviewed using standardized pretested questionnaire to record medical history, sociodemographic data, and life style characteristics. Blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference were measured. Blood samples were taken for measurement of lipid profile and glycosylated hemoglobin. Results: A total of eighty individuals with type 1 diabetes volunteered to participate in this study, 37.5% of males and 62.5% of females. Majority of the patients were aged between 40 and 70 years old. There was poor glycemic control (glycosylated hemoglobin> 7%), in 83.8%. Age and sex were significant factors associated with poor glycemic control in this cohort. High cholesterol, triglyceride, and low density lipoprotein were seen in 76.2%, 27.5%, and 48.8% of participants, respectively. Low high density lipoprotein was seen in 33.8%. Hypertension was determined in 21.3%. Peripheral neuropathy, visual impairment, diabetic foot, and myocardial infarction were seen in 50%, 48.8%, 18.8%, and 2.5% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: Sudanese adults with type 1 diabetes have poor glycemic control, high prevalence of dyslipidemia, and long-term complications

Prevalence and determinants of undernutrition among children under 5-year-old in rural areas: A cross-sectional survey in North Sudan

Background: Child malnutrition is a major public health problem in developing countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of undernutrition among children <5 years in River Nile state (RNS) in North Sudan. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional household survey was done in four localities in RNS. Using Multistage Cluster sampling, 1635 under 5 years' children had participated. Pretested questionnaire and anthropometric measures were used during data collection. The analysis was done using SPSS software program version 21 and World Health Organization (WHO) Anthro 2005 software. Indices were reported in z-scores and compared with the WHO 2005 reference population to determine the nutritional status of children. Results: Among 1,447 surveyed children, the prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting were 42.5%, 32.7%, and 21%, respectively. Stunting was highest among the 48–60 months of age group (82.5%). Boys had poorer indicators of undernutrition in comparison to girls. Geographically stunting was more prevalent in Berber locality. Infectious diseases (gastroenteritis and respiratory symptoms) and incomplete vaccination were significantly associated with wasting (P = 0.007, P = 0.013, and P = 0.008). Poor socioeconomic status (P = 0.043), poorer household sanitation (P = 0.022), large family size, lack of family spacing, and infants weaned suddenly were regarded as risk factors for undernutrition. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of undernutrition in the 4th and 5th year of life in RNS population, with significant gender imbalance. Our survey highlighted the importance of urgent need to improve child health in this region