Skip Navigation

Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 1997 43(6):330-336; doi:10.1093/tropej/43.6.330
© 1997 by Oxford University Press
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (12)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bhutta, Z. A.
Right arrow Articles by Issani, Z.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bhutta, Z. A.
Right arrow Articles by Issani, Z.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

research-article

Risk Factors for Mortality Among Hospitalized Children with Persistent Diarrhoea in Pakistan

Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta*, S. Q. Nizami*, S. Thobani* and Z. Issani**

*Department of Paediatrics, The Aga Khan University Medical Center Stadium Road, P.O. Box 3500, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
**National Institute of Child Health Karachi, Pakistan

We evaluated factors associated with mortality among a cohort of malnourished children with persistent diarrhoea (PD) admitted for nutritional rehabilitation with a defined rice-lentil (Khitchri) and yoghurt diet. Of 302 children consecutively admitted with PD, 13 (4 per cent) died, mostly (62 per cent) within 72 h of admission. Univariate analysis of risk factors at admission associated with mortality indicated significantly increased risk of death with severe stunting [relative risk (RR) 3.1, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 1.1–9.0], hypoalbuminaemia (RR 4.3, 95 per cent CI 1.5–12.3), stool frequency >12/day (RR 6.0, 96 per cent CI 2.0–17.6), stool volume>100g/kg/day (RR 10.7, 95 per cent CI 3.0–37.6) and severe dehydration (RR 7.5, 95 per cent CI 2.6–21.8). Children who died also had comparatively shorter duration of diarrhoea at admission, and were also associated with higher rate of bacteremia at admission (Fisher's exact test P < 0.01). The logistic regression model evaluating multivariate risk of mortality identified weight-for-age z-score and sepsis as significant risk factors. Our data suggest that severe malnutrition and sepsis are associated with significantly increased risk of mortality in children with PD. Stringent screening for infections and recognition of subgroups with severe malnutrition and severe diarrhoea may improve screening and case management strategies for this disorder.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 BMJHome page
J A Berkley, A Ross, I Mwangi, F H A Osier, M Mohammed, M Shebbe, B S Lowe, K Marsh, and C R J C Newton
Prognostic indicators of early and late death in children admitted to district hospital in Kenya: cohort study
BMJ, February 15, 2003; 326(7385): 361 - 361.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.