The changing patterns of cardiac diseases in 4 hospital medical schools in 2 Decades.

A retrospective study of 1,293,843 in-patients of the medical schools Siriraj, Chulalongkorn, Ramathibodi and Chiangmai hospitals in the alternate years from 1969 to 1987 (covering almost two decades), according to ICU 8-9, reveals that the proportion to all in-patient admission of 1. all cardiac patient admissions has steadily increased; 2. all cardiac failure admissions has significantly increased, but those due to anaemia and thyroid disturbances are unchanged; 3. all congenital heart disease admissions remained unchanged from 1969 to 1979, but significantly increased thereafter; 4. hypertensive cardiovascular admissions has remained unchanged; 5. rheumatic heart disease admission has decreased; 6. cardiac infection admissions has remained unchanged, but non-infection cardiac inflammation admissions has increased; 7. ischemic heart disease admissions has increased; 8. cardiac beriberi admissions decreased from 1969 to 1979, and unchanged thereafter; 9. cor pulmonale admissions has increased; and 10. cardiomyopathy admissions has increased, particularly after 1977. This information will help in planning for admission and the budgets of hospital medical schools and medical centres. It will also be useful in the planning of preventing specifice heart diseases, such as ischemic heart disease, which is increasing rapidly in the general population.