Chronic illness needing palliative care in Kinshasa hospitals, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Abstract Background Chronic illnesses are a major public health problem in low-income countries. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), few data are available, especially in palliative care. In this context, the present study aimed at describing the patterns of diseases in Kinshasa hospitals...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tropical Medicine and Health
Main Authors: Jacques Lofandjola Masumbuku, Ernest Sumaili Kiswaya, Philippe Mairiaux, Daniel Gillain, Jean Petermans
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: BMC 2017
Subjects:
Palliative care
Hospitals
Kinshasa
Chronic conditions
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-017-0052-y
https://doaj.org/article/1605719e6f0c4079b3ac5120e219cfa8
Description
Summary:Abstract Background Chronic illnesses are a major public health problem in low-income countries. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), few data are available, especially in palliative care. In this context, the present study aimed at describing the patterns of diseases in Kinshasa hospitals as well as risk factors associated with patients’ evolving status and length of hospital stay. Methods A prospective study was conducted in ten hospitals of Kinshasa, over a 1-year period. A total of 2699 patients with a chronic condition (non-communicable diseases (NCD) and/or AIDS) were consecutively enrolled in the study between January and December, 2013. Results Out of 2699 patients studied, 36.9% were suffering from cardiovascular diseases, 29.7% from comorbidity and 17.5% from AIDS. 27.5% of patients died while hospitalized, and 67.4% were lost to follow-up. The risk factors independently associated with death in hospitals were AIDS (adjusted OR = 2.2) and age over 65 years old (adjusted OR = 1.7). Peri-urban and rural areas were significantly associated with a mean adjusted hospital stay longer than 3 days. The length of stay (LOS) was shorter for women and patients living in urban areas. Patients survived for a median of 10 days (range 7–20 days). Conclusions This study reveals the high proportion of patients suffering from advanced chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, AIDS and comorbidity. It demonstrates the need for palliative care (PC) in medical practices in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Similar Items