Chronic Liver Disease among Patients Admitted in the Department of Internal Medicine of a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic liver disease with cirrhosis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality not only in developed but also in developing countries. Many patients already develop complications before hospital admission and require intensive medical care during hospital treatment. The main objective of the study was to find out the prevalence of the chronic liver disease among patients admitted in the Department of Internal Medicine of a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine of a tertiary care centre from 1 January 2022 to 31 March 2022. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Review Board (Reference number: 2211202105). The patient admitted in the Department during the study period was included and those who do not gave consent were excluded. Convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Out of 447 patients, the prevalence of chronic liver disease was 93 (20.8%) (17.04-24.56, 95% Confidence Interval). The mean age of the patients was 49.69±10.94 years and among them, males were 64 (68.82%). Conclusions: The prevalence of the chronic liver disease among patients admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine of a tertiary care centre was lower than in other studies conducted in similar settings.