Sociodemographic and Clinical Profiles of Patients Admitted in Tertiary Level Pediatric Hospital of Nepal: An...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Global Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Child health is a critical determinant of overall public health in low and middle-income countries.
• Tertiary-level pediatric hospitals manage complex cases, necessitating an understanding of patient demographics and clinical profiles.
• Kanti Children's Hospital serves as a key tertiary care facility for pediatric patients in Nepal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of pediatric patients admitted to Kanti Children's Hospital.
• To identify the primary causes of pediatric admissions and associated outcomes.
• To inform healthcare strategies for improving pediatric care in resource-limited settings.

Main Methods:

• An observational, cross-sectional study design was employed.
• Data were collected from 9682 inpatient records of children under 15 years old from July 2023 to July 2024.
• Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze demographic data, admission causes, and patient outcomes.

Main Results:

• The study included 9682 pediatric patients, with males constituting 65.99%.
• The most frequent admission causes were respiratory (22.66%) and infectious diseases (15.70%), particularly in children aged 1-5 years.
• An overall mortality rate of 2.09% was recorded, with significantly higher rates in the pediatric intensive care unit (12.06%) and neonatal intensive care unit (10.62%).

Conclusions:

• Respiratory and infectious diseases are leading causes of pediatric hospitalization, especially among younger children.
• A significant proportion of patients originated from areas outside the capital city, indicating a need for broader healthcare access.
• Elevated mortality rates in intensive care units underscore the severity of critical pediatric illnesses and the need for enhanced critical care services.