Prevalence of infections in children with acute malnutrition admitted on paediatric ward of Fort Portal Hospital from July to December 2017
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Date
2018-02
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Kampala International University, School of Health Sciences
Abstract
Introduction: Malnutrition is a major development and public health concern that affects both children and adults in Uganda. Under nutrition is a result of interplay of socioeconomic factors but largely caused by inadequate intake or poor absorption of nutrients in the body, it can be acute or chronic malnutrition. Acute malnutrition is a rapid onset condition characterized by bilateral pitting oedema or sudden weight caused by a decrease in food consumption and/or illness and can be divided into severe acute malnutrition and moderate acute malnutrition. Statistics show that 360000 children (2% nationally) are estimated to be acutely malnourished and nearly 125000 (34.7%) of them have severe acute malnutrition. Acute malnutrition may act as a direct cause of death or indirectly by increasing dramatically the number of deaths in children suffering from common childhood illness. Acute malnutrition is therefore an important co factor of infections, associated with immune deficiency respiratory muscle atrophy. SAM triples the risk of mortality from pneumonia, measles, diarrhea, and other infections.
Objective; To determine the prevalence of infections among different forms of acute malnutrition and their impact in terms of mortality rate and duration of hospital stay.
Method; A quantitative retrospective and analytical survey was used aimed at collecting information about study subjects from nutritional files and other health information system management record books using a well prepared data collection sheet. The study analyzed data from 152 children below five years that were admitted on pediatric ward with acute malnutrition in my study period
Results; Of the 152 children, 90.8% had SAM and 9.2% Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), among SAM children, 79% had non edematous and 21% edematous. The prevalence of diarrhea, UTI, ARI, Malaria, HIV, and other infections were 40%, 24%, 33%, 32%, 7.2%, and 15%.
Conclusion; Acute malnutrition is more prevalent and severe in younger than older children. Non edematous form of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) was found to be the most prevalent form of AM, followed edematous form and then Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), however, edematous SAM was the most severe form of AM, with more chances of co morbidities (93%) and prolonged duration of hospital stay.
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Clinical Medicine and Dentistry in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery of Kampala International University
Keywords
Infections in children with acute malnutrition, Paediatric ward, Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)