International Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences

The aim of this study was to determine the morbidity and mortality pattern amongst patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital Uyo, Nigeria over four consecutive years (June 2004 to June 2008). This study was a retrospective study. Data was obtained from the records register in the medical wards of the hospital. These records registers included admission and discharge records as well as outcome of the individual cases. Data extracted included age, sex, indication for admission and outcome. A total of 407 patients with DM were admitted during the period under review. Uncontrolled DM was the commonest indication for admission accounting for 62.1 % of the total admissions. Hyperglycaemic emergencies (diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar non-ketotic coma (Honk)) accounted for 18.7 % of the total admissions. The overall mortality rate was 8.1%. HONK was the commonest cause of death accounting for 24.2 % of the total deaths recorded. The mortality rate of diabetic ketoacidosis was 10.3%, while for HONK it was 30.3%. DM is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Uyo. Adequate health/diabetic education needs to be given to diabetic patients to enable them take care of their illness to prevent the poor outcome associated with the disease