Open Access
Subscription or Fee Access
TEN-YEAR MORTALITY REVIEW IN A PIONEER PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL IN WEST AFRICA
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the mortality among admitted patients in the study centre, a pioneer
psychiatric facility in the West African sub-region.
Design: A detailed retrospective study of the records of all deaths among the inpatients
during the ten-year period of January, 1991 to December, 2000.
Setting: Psychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria; established in 1907 with present bed
status of 535 and patronage from Lagos and it’s environ, including the neighbouring Benin
Republic.
Subjects: Ninety six patients that died while on admission in the centre during the study
period.
Results: A total of 96 patients died over the ten-year period, giving an annual rate of 9.6. The
age range was 14-87 years, and mean of 44.4 (SD ±16.8) years. The male: female ratio was
1:1.6. Schizophrenia (26%) and major depression (25%) constituted the main psychiatric
diagnoses at the time of admission among the cohort. The commonest cause of death included
infections/infestations, most especially malaria and septicaemia (44% of the cohort).
Conclusion: It is concluded that the major psychotic disorders, schizophrenia and depression
continue to constitute the highest psychopathologies diagnosed psychiatric mortality study.
Finally, infections/infestations still continue to play leading role as major causes of death in
the West African sub-region.
Objective: To determine the mortality among admitted patients in the study centre, a pioneer
psychiatric facility in the West African sub-region.
Design: A detailed retrospective study of the records of all deaths among the inpatients
during the ten-year period of January, 1991 to December, 2000.
Setting: Psychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria; established in 1907 with present bed
status of 535 and patronage from Lagos and it’s environ, including the neighbouring Benin
Republic.
Subjects: Ninety six patients that died while on admission in the centre during the study
period.
Results: A total of 96 patients died over the ten-year period, giving an annual rate of 9.6. The
age range was 14-87 years, and mean of 44.4 (SD ±16.8) years. The male: female ratio was
1:1.6. Schizophrenia (26%) and major depression (25%) constituted the main psychiatric
diagnoses at the time of admission among the cohort. The commonest cause of death included
infections/infestations, most especially malaria and septicaemia (44% of the cohort).
Conclusion: It is concluded that the major psychotic disorders, schizophrenia and depression
continue to constitute the highest psychopathologies diagnosed psychiatric mortality study.
Finally, infections/infestations still continue to play leading role as major causes of death in
the West African sub-region.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
