Pattern and Outcome of Gastroenterology Admissions in Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa

Introduction: The magnitude of digestive and liver diseases in our environment affects the pattern of admissions into the gastroenterology unit and the outcome of these medical admissions. Methodology: This was a descriptive retrospective study conducted at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa over a period of 3 years. The medical records of the patients admitted into the medical ward from 2017- 2019 were retrieved and reviewed for socio-demographics, pattern of gastroenterology presentations and outcome. Results: A total of two hundred and seven patients were admitted into the Gastroenterology unit over the period of study. The study population comprise 117(56.5%) males and 90(43.5%) females in the ratio of 1.3:1. Majority of the admitted patients were in their 5th (21.7%) and 6th (23.2%) decade of life. Diseases of the liver (50.4%) and the upper gastrointestinal tract (35.4%) were the commonest indication for admission into the GI unit. During the study period, 72.9% of the subjects admitted were discharged by the managing team, overall mortality was 15.9% while 11.2% were discharged against medical advice. Conclusions: Gastroenterology admissions are quite common, with liver diseases and upper gastrointestinal bleeding accounting for over 70% of these admissions. There is need for more emphasis on the preventive measures, to reduce the burden of digestive and liver diseases in Yenagoa, Nigeria