Presentation of diabetes mellitus at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka

The mode of presentation of 118 insulin-dependent (IDD) and 187 non insulin-dependent diabetics (NIDD) is outlined. The complications as well as associated diseases are presented. Eighty-six males were insulin-dependent and ninety-eight males were non insulin-dependent. Thirty-two females were insulin-dependent while eighty-nine females were non insulin-dependent. The age range was 14-50 years with a mean of 34.3 years for the insulin-dependent patients while the age range and mean for the non insulin-dependent patients was 30-50 years and 45.7 years respectively. The range for the duration of diabetes mellitus was 0.5-312 months with a mean of 52 months for the insulin-dependent patients while it was 1-228 months and 55 months respectively for the non insulin-dependent patients. In the insulin-dependent group there were 107 Africans, 9 Asians and 2 Europeans while in the non insulin-dependent group there were 143 Africans, 43 Asians and 1 European.