ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SERUM UREA, CREATININE LEVELS AND URINALYSIS FINDINGS IN DIABETES MELLITUS PATIENTS AT SECGH-SHISONG: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Dr. Lukong Hubert Shalanyuy*, Lukong Ghislain Fonyuy, Dr. Tanlaka Lucas Mengnjo, Wam Elvis Chongsi, Lukong Jude Thaddeus Veranso

ABSTRACT

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of kidney disease globally. This study investigated the association between serum urea, creatinine levels, and urinalysis findings among diabetes mellitus patients in SECGH (Saint Elizabeth Catholic General Hospital) Shisong, Cameroon. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 88 freely consented diabetic patients attending SECGH-Shisong over four weeks, sampled through convenience sampling. Sociodemographic data were collected using structured questionnaires. Serum urea and creatinine were measured via spectrophotometry, and urinalysis was conducted using dipstick tests, following all standardised methods. Inferential statistics was computed using the chi square test and correlation analysis. Data was analysed using SPSS version 21, and significance was considered at p<0.05. Results: Out of the 88 diabetes mellitus participants in the study, the majority were females (73.9%) and aged between 35–44 years (46.6%), with over one-third (39.8%) living with diabetes for more than five years, and farmers constituting the dominant occupation (55.7%). Kidney dysfunction was prevalent in 31.8% of respondents, with a statistically significant association between abnormal kidney function and factors such as age (p=0.003), duration of diabetes (p=0.023), and proteinuria (p=0.001). Most affected individuals were aged 55 years and above and had been diabetic for over five years. Urinalysis showed strong associations between abnormal serum urea/creatinine and proteinuria (p=0.006), haematuria (p=0.012 for urea, p=0.005 for creatinine), and glucosuria (p=0.00002 for urea, p=0.001 for creatinine). Conclusion: The study highlights the need for routine screening of serum urea, creatinine, and urinalysis markers in diabetic patients, particularly those older and with longer disease durations.

Keywords: Serum Urea, Creatinine, Urinalysis, Diabetic Patients At SECGH-Shisong.