Digestive and liver diseases statistics in several referral centers in Tehran, 2000-2004

Gastrointestinal and liver diseases [GILD] are among the most common causes of morbidity and substantial proportion of mortality with enormous economic consequences in Iran. We aimed to collect and report the most recent statistics on deaths, symptoms, physician visits, and hospitalizations for common gastrointestinal and liver diseases in gastrointestinal referral centers of Tehran. Data on the leading causes of death were obtained from Iranian Ministry of Health, office of Health Statistics, [Table 1]. A total of 189,747 deaths in the 23 [out of the 28] provinces of the country] were reported during March 2003 to February 2004. Causes of death were reported on the basis of the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases [ICD-10; 1992]. The leading causes of hospitalizations were obtained from the database of the GI ward of Shariati hospital, one of the biggest and well known GI referral hospitals in Iran, through years 2000 to 2004. Data on the leading symptoms prompting an outpatient clinic visit and related physician's diagnosis were gathered from a large multi-physician outpatient clinic, located in Tehran, during 2000-2004. The first 5 leading gastrointestinal causes of death in the country were: stomach cancer, hepatobiliary cancers, cirrhosis of liver, esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer respectively. The first 5 leading causes of hospitalizations in GI ward of Shariati Hospital were cirrhosis of liver, hepatitis, peptic ulcer diseases, cholycystitis and cholangitis and colorectal cancer. The most common outpatient diagnosis was GERD followed by IBS, DU, Non-ulcer Dyspepsia, and chronic hepatitis B. GI and liver malignancy along with chronic liver diseases constitute the main GI and liver etiology for hospitalization and death in Iran.Gastroesophageal reflux disease, IBS, DU, Non ulcer Dyspepsia, and Chronic HBV are the most common outpatient diagnosis in Iran