Seasonal Variations of Hyperglycemic Crises in Diabetic Patients at a National Hospital Center, Benin: a Cross Sectional Study

Aim : To study the seasonal characteristics of hyperglycemic decompensations in the endocrinology department of the CNHU-HKM of Cotonou. Materials and methods :It was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and study of diabetic patients hospitalized from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019. Diabetic patients hospitalized for ketosis decompensation and/or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome were included in this study. The meteorological data used were obtained from the climate observation network of the Direction de la Météorologie Nationale (DMN) du Bénin. We have considered the means of rainfall and temperature per month and per year. Results : A total of 613 patients were included during the study period. The mean age of the patients was 46.77±15.84 years. The frequency of hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome and ketoacidosis was 14.7% and 69.5% respectively. Hyperglycemic crises were more frequent during the rainy season and periods of low temperature. The main precipitating factors were infections and non-adherence to treatment. The main infectious sites involved in hyperglycemic crises were pulmonary (19%), urogenital (21.3%) and malaria (26.8%). The frequency of these different infections was higher during the rainy season with a statistically significant difference (p=0.02) for malaria. Conclusion : The frequency of hyperglycemic crises was high and had a seasonal distribution. The most frequent precipitating factors were infections and non-adherence to treatment. Those factors were more frequent in the rainy season.