Altered State of Consciousness in Adult Ethiopians: Analysis of Aetiological Factors
Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health January 1, 1988
In a prospective study at Tikur Anbessa University Teaching Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 300 consecutive patients admitted with altered state of consciousness were evaluated. The most common causes were metabolic disorders (41.7%), infectious diseases (33.7%), and neurological conditions (21.3%). Hepatic encephalopathy was the single most frequent cause, found in 24.7% of patients. No definite diagnosis was reached in 3.3% of cases. The mortality rate was high, with 57.7% of patients dying. Age and disease patterns differed from those observed in Europe and North America.