Pattern of infectious diseases in northern Iran: An approach to internal medicine management

BACKGROUND: Despite the development of their prevention and treatment, infectious diseases cause high mortality, many disabilities and inadequate living conditions worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of infectious diseases in northern Iran with an approach to internal medicine management. METHODS: This cross-sectional research was conducted in 2019 on all 7095 infectious diseases patient records that referred to Ghaemshahr Razi Hospital, Mazandaran Province, Iran during 2012-2018. A checklist prepared by investigator was used to collect the data. The extracted data were coded and entered into SPSS 22 and analyzed using K(2) and independent t-test at p<.05. RESULTS: The mean age of the study patients was 29.7±26.4. 4372 (61%) of the cases were males and the mean duration of hospitalization was 41.6±33.5. Age was significantly correlated to infectious diseases (P=.001). Gastroenteritis was the most common infectious disease among the men and women with 2442 (60.5%) and 1594 (39.47%), respectively. Based on the Pearson's correlation test, the relationship between leptospirosis, brucellosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, shigellosis, sepsis and infectious mononucleosis with gender, habitation, admission mode, discharged mode and age was significant (p<.05). CONCLUSION: As the high frequent diseases were gastroenteritis, leptospirosis, brucellosis and sepsis and an increasing trend was in the prevalence of gastroenteritis, leptospirosis and lung tuberculosis, health system managers should consider training courses, preventive strategies, real-time interventions, increased hospital bed rate for patients with infectious diseases and so on.