Vascular Health and Risk Management (Sep 2020)
Pattern of Cardiac Diseases and Co-Existing Morbidities Among Newly Registered Cardiac Patients in an Adult Cardiac Referral Clinic of Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Southern-Ethiopia
Abstract
Sisay Tesfaye,1 Mekdes Shifeta,2 Agete Tadewos Hirigo3 1Hawassa University, College of Medicine and Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Hawassa, Ethiopia; 2Hawassa University, College of Medicine and Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Paediatrics, Hawassa, Ethiopia; 3Hawassa University, College of Medicine and Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Hawassa, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Sisay TesfayeHawassa University, College of Medicine and Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, P.O. Box 1560, Hawassa, EthiopiaTel +251-913-938640Email [email protected]: Currently, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are rising in the world and require great concern because the consequences are not only morbidity and mortality, but also a high economic burden. However, the pattern of CVDs in Ethiopia is not well known. Therefore, this study aimed to describe CVD and co-existing morbidities among newly registered cardiac patients in Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital.Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1 to December 31, 2016 among newly registered cardiac patients in an adult cardiac referral clinic. Records and cardiac referral clinic logbooks were used to collect relevant information using structured checklists.Results: Of the total 310 records of cardiac patients, 236 were explored and included in the study, while the records of 74 patients were absent in the cards room when tracing and/or incomplete to assess cardiac pattern. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) was the leading cardiac problem and diagnosed in 70 (29.7%) cases followed by non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (55, 23.3%), ischemic heart disease (41, 17.4%), hypertensive heart disease (29, 12.3%), and cor pulmonale (14, 5.9%). The mean age of RHD patients was 28.7 (± 13.1) years. Eighty-two (35%) females and 23 (19.8%) males had RHD, while 69 (29.2%) females and 23 (19.8%) males had non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. The overall rate of mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, and aortic regurgitation among patients with RHD were 39 (55.7%), 48 (68.6%), and 26 (37.1%), respectively. Moreover, the overall coexisted morbidity was 81 (34.3%), with a high rate of hypertension alone at 44 (18.6%) followed by hypertension with diabetes at 11 (4.7%).Conclusion: This study indicated that more than one-third of cardiac patients had at least one of the co-existing morbidities like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, asthma and other diseases. Therefore, careful diagnosis and management of cardiac patients plays an important role to minimize comorbidity-linked complications. Moreover, population-based studies are recommended for better representing and generalization.Keywords: cardiac diseases, comorbidity, pattern, referral clinic, Hawassa
