Authors: Ilyas El Kassimi , Adil Rkiouak , Nawal Sahel , Meryem Zaizaa , Youssef Sekkach

Abstract

Background: Internal medicine wards receive patients with heterogeneous and often multisystem presentations, and the reason for admission may not predict the final diagnosis. Describing admission reasons can support service planning and diagnostic pathways.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective descriptive single-center study in an internal medicine department. We included all adult hospitalizations with an analyzable medical record between January 1, 2022 and October 31, 2024. We collected demographics, comorbidities, length of stay, admission reasons, investigations, and discharge diagnoses. Analysis was descriptive.

Results: We analyzed 190 hospitalizations (mean age, 54.1 years; 55% women). Mean length of stay was 16.9 days. Twenty-four admission reasons were identified; the most frequent were anemia syndrome (30/190, 16%), unilateral leg swelling (23/190, 12%), polyarthralgia (20/190, 11%), general health deterioration (19/190, 10%), abdominal pain (15/190, 8%), and dyspnea (15/190, 8%). The first 8 reasons accounted for 75% of admissions. Complete blood count was performed in all patients, and thoraco-abdomino-pelvic computed tomography was the most frequently requested imaging examination (137/190, 72%). Discharge diagnoses were dominated by hematologic disorders (43/190, 23%), systemic or autoimmune diseases (39/190, 21%), and vascular causes (21/190, 11%).

Conclusion: Admissions clustered around a limited set of clinical syndromes but led to a broad spectrum of final diagnoses. This mismatch underscores the integrative diagnostic role of hospital-based internal medicine and may help optimize diagnostic pathways and resource allocation.

Keywords: Internal medicine, hospitalization, reasons for admission, discharge diagnoses, anemia, deep vein thrombosis.