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Amundsen MS, Kirkeby TMG, Giri S, Koju R, Krishna SS, Ystgaard B, Solligård E, Risnes K. Non-communicable diseases at a regional hospital in Nepal: Findings of a high burden of alcohol-related disease. Alcohol 2016; 57:9-14. [PMID: 27916144 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Revised: 10/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent global burden of disease reports find that a major proportion of global deaths and disability worldwide can be attributed to alcohol use. Thus, it may be surprising that very few studies have reported on the burden of alcohol-related disease in low income settings. The evidence of non-communicable disease (NCD) burden in Nepal was recently reviewed and concluded that data is still lacking, particularly to describe the burden of alcohol-related diseases (ARDs). Therefore, here we report on NCD burden and specifically ARDs, in hospitalized patients at a regional hospital in Nepal. We conducted a retrospective chart-review that included detailed information on all discharged patients during a four month period. A local database that included sociodemographic information and diagnoses at discharge was established. All doctor-assigned discharge diagnoses were retrospectively assigned ICD-10 codes. A total of 1,139 hospitalized adult patients were included in the study and one third of these were NCDs (n = 332). The main NCDs were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (n = 148, 45%) and ARDs (n = 57, 17%). Patients with ARD often presented with signs of liver cirrhosis and were typically younger men, with a median age at 43 years, from specific ethnic groups. These data demonstrate that severe alcohol-related organ failure in relatively young men contributed to a high proportion of NCDs in a regional hospital in Nepal. These findings are novel and alarming and warrant further studies that can establish the burden of ARDs and alcohol use in Nepal and other similar low-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Amundsen
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, P.O. Box No.: 7491, Trondheim, Norway; St. Olavs Hospital, Children's Clinic, Olav Kyrres Gate 11, P.O. Box 7030, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - T M G Kirkeby
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, P.O. Box No.: 7491, Trondheim, Norway; St. Olavs Hospital, Clinic of Emergency Medicine and Prehospital Care, Prinsesse Kristinas Gate 3, P.O. Box. No: 7030, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - S Giri
- Dhulikel Hospital, Kathmandu, P.O. Box No.: 11008, Nepal; Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Institute of Circulation and Medical Imaging, NTNU, P.O. Box No.: 7491, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - R Koju
- Dhulikel Hospital, Kathmandu, P.O. Box No.: 11008, Nepal.
| | - S S Krishna
- Dhulikel Hospital, Kathmandu, P.O. Box No.: 11008, Nepal.
| | - B Ystgaard
- St. Olavs Hospital, P.O. Box 3250, Sluppen, 7006, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - E Solligård
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Institute of Circulation and Medical Imaging, NTNU, P.O. Box No.: 7491, Trondheim, Norway; St. Olavs Hospital, Clinic of Emergency Medicine and Prehospital Care, Prinsesse Kristinas Gate 3, P.O. Box. No: 7030, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - K Risnes
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Institute of Public Health and General Practice, NTNU, P.O. Box No.: 7491, Trondheim, Norway; St. Olavs Hospital, Children's Clinic, Olav Kyrres Gate 11, P.O. Box 7030, Trondheim, Norway.
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