Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Jul 15:15:76.
doi: 10.1186/s12887-015-0398-4.

Survival status and predictors of mortality in severely malnourished children admitted to Jimma University Specialized Hospital from 2010 to 2012, Jimma, Ethiopia: a retrospective longitudinal study

Habtemu Jarso  1 , Abdulhalik Workicho  2 , Fessahaye Alemseged  3
Affiliations

Survival status and predictors of mortality in severely malnourished children admitted to Jimma University Specialized Hospital from 2010 to 2012, Jimma, Ethiopia: a retrospective longitudinal study

Habtemu Jarso et al. BMC Pediatr. .

Abstract

Background: Although community based treatment of severe acute malnutrition has been advocated for in recent years, facility based treatment of severe acute malnutrition is still required. Therefore, information on the treatment outcomes of malnutrition and potential predictors of mortality among severely malnourished children admitted to hospitals is critical for the improvement of quality care. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess survival status and predictors of mortality in severely malnourished children admitted to Jimma University Specialized Hospital from September 11, 2010 to September 10, 2012.

Methods: Retrospective longitudinal study was conducted at Jimma University Specialized Hospital. From September 11, 2010 to September 10, 2012 available data from severely malnourished children admitted to the hospital were reviewed. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 for windows. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression to identify clinical characteristics associated with mortality.

Result: A total of 947 children were enrolled into the study. An improvement, death and abscond rate were 77.8, 9.3 and 12.9% respectively. The median duration from admission to death was 7 days. The average length of stay in the hospital and average weight gain were 17.4 days and 10.4 g/kg/day respectively. The main predictors of earlier hospital deaths were age less than 24 months (AHR = 1.9, 95 % CI [1.2-2.9]), hypothermia (AHR = 3.0, 95% CI [1.4-6.6]), impaired consciousness level (AHR = 2.6, 95% CI [1.5-4.5]), dehydration (AHR = 2.3, 95% CI [1.3-4.0]), palmar pallor (AHR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.3-3.3]) and co-morbidity/complication at admission (AHR = 3.7, 95% CI [1.9-7.2]).

Conclusion: The treatment outcomes (improvement rate, death rate, average length of stay in the hospital and average weight gain) were better than most reports in the literatures and in agreement with minimum international standard set for management of severe acute malnutrition. Intervention to further reduce earlier deaths should focus on young children with hypothermia, altered mental status, dehydration, anemia and comorbidities.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of type of malnutrition by age of severely malnourished children admitted to JUSH, Sept. 2010-Sept. 2012
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Time from admission to discharge for severely malnourished children admitted to JUSH, Sept. 2010-Sept. 2012
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Time from admission to death or abscond for severely malnourished children admitted to JUSH, Sept.2010-Sept. 2012
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Time from infusion to death for severely malnourished children admitted to JUSH, Sept. 2010-Sept.2012
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Abuye C. Nutrition Baseline Survey Report for the National Nutrition Program of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute; 2009/10. p. 98.
    1. World Health Organization . Management of severe malnutrition: a manual for physicians and other senior health workers. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1999.
    1. Central Statistical Agency [Ethiopia], ORC Macro . Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Calverton, Maryland, USA: Central Statistical Agency and ORC Macro; 2011. p. 450.
    1. Collins S, Dent N, Binns P, Bahwere P, Sadler K, Hallam A. Management of severe acute malnutrition in children. Lancet. 2006;368(9551):1992–2000. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69443-9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Teferi E, Lera M, Sita S, Bogale Z, Datiko DG, Yassin MA. Treatment outcome of children with severe acute malnutrition admitted to therapeutic feeding centers in Southern Region of Ethiopia. Ethiop J Health Dev. 2010;24(3). Available from: http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ejhd/article/view/68392.