Pattern of infectious diseases in the western region of Saudi Arabia : a study of 495 hospitalized patients

Abstract EN

To determine the pattern of infectious diseases and length of stay among hospitalized patients ; and to detect the medical disorders commonly associated with infectious diseases.

This is a retrospective study of all patients who were admitted to King Abdulaziz University Hospital with a diagnosis of infections over a five year period.

The total number was 495 patients.

A special form was used to collect information from patients' medical records including age, sex and nationality; discharge diagnosis according to 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases other associated diseases and the length of stay in hospital.

The most affected age group was 26 - 45 years (39.8 %).

Pneumonia (18.8 %), PUO (16.6 %) Pulmonary TB (9.7 %) have the highest prevalence among hospitalized patients.

Pneumonia and UTI were higher among females (54.8 %, 66.6 %) than males (45.2 %, 33.3 %) respectively while pulmonary TB, bronchopneumonia, meningitis, and malaria were higher among males 66.7 %, 100, 667 %)and 66.7 %) than females (33.3 %, 0.0%, 33.3%, and 3.3 % respectively (P < 0.001).

Diabetes mellitus (17.6 %) and hypertension (7.5 %) were the most prevalent associated diseases.

In 80 of the patients the length of stay ranged between one to two weeks.

Pneumonia, PUO, and pulmonary TB were the leading causes of hospitalizations among patients with infectious disorders, while diabetes andhypertension were the most commonly associated diseases.

Infectious diseases formed about 9 % of total internal medicine admissions.