ArticleAfrican journal of emergency medicine : Revue africaine de la medecine d'urgence2021
The burden of diabetic emergencies on the resuscitation area of a district-level public hospital in Cape Town.
Article in African journal of emergency medicine : Revue africaine de la medecine d'urgence, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open diabetes research & care · 2026Pooled it
- Magnitude, risk factors and economic impacts of diabetic emergencies in developing countries: A systematic review.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Mapping the storm: a scoping review of diabetic emergencies in Africa.Frontiers in clinical diabetes and healthcare · 2026Review
- The dawdle, dally and delay of diabetic ketoacidosis: Decoding the emergency department length of stay - A chart review.Journal of the colleges of medicine of South Africa · 2025Article
- The variables predictive of ambulance non-conveyance of patients in the Western Cape, South Africa.African journal of emergency medicine : Revue africaine de la medecine d'urgence · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionDiabetes and its complications continue to cause a daunting and growing concern on resource-limited environments. There is a paucity of data relating to the care of diabetic emergencies in the emergency centres of entry-level hospitals in Africa. The aim of this study was to describe the burden of diabetic emergencies presenting to the emergency centre of an urban district-level hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
methodsThe Khayelitsha Hospital Emergency Centre database was retrospectively analysed for patients presenting with a diabetic emergency within a 24-week randomly selected period. The database was supplemented by a retrospective chart review to include additional variables for participants with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), uncomplicated hyperglycaemia, severe hypoglycaemia and hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS). Summary statistics are presented of all variables.
resultsThe prevalence of all diabetic emergencies was 8.1% (197/2424) (DKA n = 96, 48.7%; uncomplicated hyperglycaemia n = 45, 22.8%; severe hypoglycaemia n = 44, 22.3%; HHS n = 12, 6%). The median age was 48 years, with those presenting with DKA being substantially younger (36 years). A likely precipitant was identified in 175 (88%) patients; infection was the most common precipitant (n = 79, 40.1%). Acute kidney injury occurred in 80 (40.6%) cases. The median length of stay in the resuscitation area was 13 h (IQR 7.2-24) and 101 (51.3%) participants represented with a diabetic- related emergency within six months of the study period. The overall mortality rate was 5% (n = 10).
conclusionThis study highlights the high burden of diabetic emergencies on the provision of acute care at a district-level hospital. The high prevalence of diabetic emergencies (8%) consisted of DKA (48.7%), uncomplicated hyperglycaemia (22.8%), severe hypoglycaemia (22.3%), and HHS (6%). The high infection rate (40%) and the high percentage of patients returning with a diabetic emergency (51%) could be indicative of the need for improved community-based diabetic programmes.
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