Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Periodic review of hospital deaths is important to know the changing pattern of mortality in our environment. Ankara Ataturk Education and Research Hospital is a tertiary center with 18 in-patient beds in Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinic. Critical patients with endocrine-related diseases are also followed in intensive care unit. In this study, we aimed to evaluate demographic characteristics, hospitalization indications and causes of death in patients who died since the foundation of our endocrine clinic 6 years ago.

Patients and methods: Data of patients hospitalized and died between January 2004 and December 2009 in our in-patient clinic were analyzed retrospectively. Age, sex, hospitalization indications and durations and mortality causes were evaluated. Among 5664 patients hospitalized during this period, 34 patients (0.6%) died.

Results: There were 20 female (58.8%) and 14 male (41.2%) patients with a mean age of 70±18.7 (18–96). Hospitalization indications were diabetes mellitus (DM) related hyperglycemic emergencies in 22 (64.6%), oral hypoglycemic or insulin related hypoglycemia in 4 (11.8%), metabolic disturbances secondary to nutritional problems in 3 (8.9%), diabetic foot infection in 1 (2.9%), leukocytoclastic vasculitis and renal failure secondary to insulin therapy in 1 (2.9%), acute adrenocortical failure in 1 (2.9%), pituitary macroadenoma in 1 (2.9%), and hypocalcemia due to hypoparathyroidism in 1 (2.9%) patient. 28 (82.4%) of patients had type 1 or type 2 DM. Duration of hospitalization until death was 6.2±6.6 days (1–25 days). Descriptive data showed that patients were generally in geriatric age group and had chronic diseases (hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, cancer) in addition to endocrine-related diseases.

Conclusion: At the present day, more than 80% of diseases and deaths are associated with chronic diseases diagnosed in middle and old ages. Diabetes mellitus and DM related emergent states, particularly in geriatric age group, are the leading causes of death in our endocrine clinic.