Mortality Facts in Internal Medicine Wards: A Descriptive Study From A University Hospital

Authors

  • Nursel Çalık Başaran
  • Burak Yasin Aktaş
  • Yusuf Ziya Şener
  • Serdar Ceylan
  • Emre Yekedüz
  • Batuhan Başpınar
  • Cem Şimşek
  • Lale Özışık
  • Gülay Sain Güven
  • Şerife Gül Öz
  • Mine Durusu Tanrıöver

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32552/2018.ActaMedica.314

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to determine the mortality rates and the causes of death in hospitalized patients in Internal Medicine Wards in a University Hospital.

Material and Methods: Medical records of patients who were hospitalized between 01 June 2014 and 31 May 2015 in Internal Medicine Wards of a University Hospital were reviewed and patients who died were examined retrospectively. Patient characteristics and causes of death were sorted out. 

Results: In the defined time frame, 5314 hospitalization episodes of 4500 patients were recorded and 416 (9.2%) patients died during hospital stay. The mean age of the patients who died was 62 (19-95) years and 54% of them were male. The median duration of hospitalization was 16 (0-142) days. The mean Charlson score was 6.3 ± 2.7. The rates of hospitalization and death did not differ between seasons. Malignancy was present in 71% of the cases and, 46% had metastatic solid cancer. The most common accompanying diseases were diabetes mellitus (25.7%), hypertension (35%) and congestive heart failure (18.8%). The most common reasons of admission were respiratory distress (23.8%), pneumonia (11.1%), and general deterioration (10.6%) among the patients who died. Sepsis (69%) and respiratory failure (15.9%) were the leading causes of deaths.

Conclusion: Patients who died in internal medicine wards have high chronic illness burden. Sepsis was the most common cause of death.

Keywords: Internal medicine, mortality, sepsis.

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Published

2018-12-25

How to Cite

1.
Çalık Başaran N, Aktaş BY, Şener YZ, Ceylan S, Yekedüz E, Başpınar B, Şimşek C, Özışık L, Sain Güven G, Öz ŞG, Durusu Tanrıöver M. Mortality Facts in Internal Medicine Wards: A Descriptive Study From A University Hospital. Acta Medica [Internet]. 2018 Dec. 25 [cited 2024 Nov. 6];49(4):6-13. Available from: https://www.actamedica.org/index.php/actamedica/article/view/314

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Original Article