Mortality in relation to profiles of clinical features in Ghanaian severely undernourished children aged 0 - 59 months - an observational study.

Mortality in relation to profiles of clinical features in Ghanaian severely undernourished children aged 0 - 59 months - an observational study. Br J Nutr. 2020 Sep 02;:1-22 Authors: Asare H, Carboo J, Nel ED, Dolman RC, Conradie C, Lombard MJ, Ricci C Abstract Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is associated with a complex pattern of various clinical conditions. We investigated how risk factors cluster in children with SAM, the relationship between clusters of risk factors and mortality as well as length of stay in children with SAM. A prospective observational study design was used. Data were extracted from medical records of 601 infants and children aged 0-59 months admitted and treated for SAM in three Ghanaian referral hospital between June 2013-June 2018. Among the 601 medical records extracted, 99 died. Three clusters of medical features clearly emerged from data analyses. Firstly, an association was defined by eye signs, pallor, diarrhoea and vomiting with gastrointestinal infections and malaria. In this cluster, pallor and eye signs were related to two to fivefold increased mortality risk. Secondly, HIV, oedema, fast pulse, respiratory infections and tuberculosis. Among those features, HIV increased child mortality risk by two-fold. Thirdly, shock, convulsions, dermatitis, cold hands and feet, weak pulse, urinary tract infections and irritability were clustered. Among those features, cold hands and feet, dermatitis, convulsions...
Source: The British Journal of Nutrition - Category: Nutrition Authors: Tags: Br J Nutr Source Type: research