The PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASES AMONG PATIENTS WHO VISITED AYDER COMPREHENSIVE SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL CHEST CLINIC, MEKELLE, ETHIOPIA

Background Interstitial lung diseases represent a large number of conditions that involve the parenchyma of the lung—the alveoli, the alveolar epithelium, the capillary endothelium, and the spaces between those structures—as well as the perivascular and lymphatic tissues. The causes are not known for most patients. Knowing local prevalence and associated factors will help to design preventive measures for those who are at high risk. Objective To determine the prevalence and characteristics of interstitial lung disease among patients visiting Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital chest clinic from December 1, 2016 to November 30, 2018 Methods A facility based retrospective cross sectional consecutive chart review was conducted on 995 patients’ charts. Those with diagnoses of interstitial lung disease were further analyzed. The data was collected using data collection format. Analysis was made on SPSS version 20 software. Descriptive statistics, frequency and proportions were utilized. Results From 995 patients, the top three diagnoses were Asthma, Post Tuberculosis Bronchiectasis and Interstitial Lung Disease respectively. The prevalence of interstitial lung disease was 8.4%. Mean age was 55 years and female patients accounted for 52%. Conclusion Prevalence of Interstitial Lung Disease is found to be 8.4%. Interstitial Lung Disease is the third common diagnosis in chest clinic. Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias are the leading types.