A Review of Post Neonatal Paediatric Admission Pattern and Outcome in a Public Tertiary Health Facility in Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Admissions over the years have been largely due to preventable aetiologies and the possible outcomes are discharge, death, referral or discharge against medical advice. This study aimed to understand the patterns of postneonatal paediatric admissions and outcomes from a public tertiary health facility in South-West Nigeria.

Methodology: A descriptive retrospective study of paediatric admissions over a 2-year period. Information concerning age, sex, diagnosis and outcome were extracted from patients' medical records. Data was presented in numbers and percentages, Chi-square was used to compare groups and a p-value of <0.05 was accepted as significant.

Results: There were a total of 875 admissions, over the 24 months period, with a male-female ratio of 1.3:1. Malaria, sepsis, sickle cell crises, pneumonia, pharyngotonsilitis and acute watery diarrhoea constituted the six leading causes of all admissions. The mortality rate for all admissions was 5.0% while the under-five mortality rate was 3.9%. Seven hundred and ninety nine (91.3%) of the admitted patients were discharged, 44 (5.0%) died, 30 (3.4%) DAMA and two (0.3%) patients were referred.

Conclusion: A large percentage of children still die from preventable and treatable diseases. Prompt health seeking behaviour, enrollment of more citizens on insurance scheme, and adoption of the newly developed malaria vaccine will help reduce child mortality. Also, early referral of patients by private hospitals should be encouraged and paediatricians to have a high index of suspicion for the diagnosis of septicaemia.

Keywords: Admissions; Child Mortality; Nigeria; Outcome; Patients.