Pioneer Medical Journal Vol. 4, No. 7, January - June, 2014. CONTRIBUTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES TO COMA IN MEDICAL WARDS OF FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTRE, UMUAHIA; A SIX-MONTH REVIEW Kelechukwu Uwanuruochi 1 , Okechukwu S Ogah 2,3 , OdigweC O 1,4 1 Department of Medicine, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, PMB 7001, Nigeria 2 Ministry of Health, Nnamdi Azikiwe Secretariat, Ogurube Layout, PMB 7215, Umuahia,Abia State, Nigeria. 3 Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University College Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Road, PMB 5116, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria 4 University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, PMB 1278, Calabar, Nigeria ABSTRACT This retrospective, hospital based, cross sectional study was done at Medical wards of Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia. We reviewed records of unconscious patients that were admitted in the medical wards over a six month period Oct 2008 to March 2009. During the study period, 135 unconscious patents were admitted, out of a total admission of 604 patients. Cardiovascular disease was present in 85 of the unconscious, comprising of stroke (75) hypertensive encephalopathies (7), Cardiac syncope (2) and Transient ischaemic attack (1) . Other causes of uncounsciousness were hyperglycaremic emergencies, 18, HIV encephalopathies 10, Hypoglycaemia 6, Seizures 6, Meningitis 6, and Cerebral malaria 4. The results indicate that cardiovascular disease were a major cause of unconsciousness in our centre. This study also highlighted the need for comprehensive study of pattern of unconscious medical admissions. KEY WORDS: Cardiovascular diseases, Medical Coma, Federal Medical Centre Umuahia