Distribution of episodes of kidney diseases admitted at the University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa" in Tirana, Albania, during the period 2010-2023

• Main Authors: Marsida Duli (Author), Qamil Dika (Author), Elizana Petrela (Author), Genc Burazeri (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: PAGEPress Publications, 2024-09-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.4081/hls.2024.12927; 2281-7824
• Keywords: Albania; disease episodes; kidney diseases; Tirana; University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa"; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270
• Source: Healthcare in Low-resource Settings (2024)

Our aim was to describe the distribution of kidney diseases among hospitalized patients in Tirana, the capital of Albania, during the period 2010-2023. A case-series study was conducted including all episodes admitted with kidney diseases at the University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa" in Tirana during the period 2010-2023 (overall: 15,763 episodes; 46% females; overall mean age: 54.0±17.3 years). We found that ≈56% of the kidney disease episodes were 35-65 years old, followed by >65-year-old individuals (≈28%). Most of the kidney disease episodes (about 43%) hospitalized were from the Tirana region, followed by districts pertinent to South Albania (23%). Older patients (>65 years) were more prevalent among males compared to females (301% vs 25%, respectively; p<0.001). Patients from the Tirana region were more prevalent among females compared to males (45% vs 42%, respectively, p<0.001). This study provides evidence on the distribution of the episodes of kidney diseases admitted at University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa" in Tirana, the largest region in Albania, a country in the Western Balkans that is undergoing deep reforms in all sectors, including also the health sector.