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Persistent diarrhoea in children admitted to Port Moresby General Hospital
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
Insights
Poor nutrition significantly increases the risk of persistent diarrhea in children under five. This retrospective study highlights key risk factors for this serious condition in hospitalized children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Diarrhea remains a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally.
- Persistent diarrhea, defined as diarrhea lasting 14 days or longer, is associated with increased mortality and malnutrition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence, mortality, and risk factors of persistent diarrhea in children admitted to Port Moresby General Hospital.
- To identify specific risk factors for persistent diarrhea in a hospital setting.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of hospital admission records for children under five with diarrhea from 1992-1993.
- Analysis of 724 case records to identify characteristics and outcomes of persistent diarrhea.
Main Results:
- Persistent diarrhea affected 20% of admissions, with a case fatality rate of 4.9%.
- Children aged 12-23 months were disproportionately affected.
- Poor nutritional status was a significant risk factor for persistent diarrhea (OR 2.7, CI 1.8-4.0), even after controlling for other variables.
Conclusions:
- Poor nutritional status is a critical risk factor for persistent diarrhea in hospitalized children.
- Interventions targeting nutritional improvement may reduce the burden of persistent diarrhea.
Abstract:
A retrospective study of the records of children admitted to Port Moresby General Hospital with diarrhoea during 1992 and 1993 was carried out to determine the morbidity, mortality and risk factors associated with persistent diarrhoea. 858 admissions of children under five years of age who had diarrhoea were identified from the ward admission registers, and case records for 724 were studied. Persistent diarrhoea occurred in 20%, and nearly half of these were in the 12-23 months age group. Children with persistent diarrhoea had a case fatality rate of 4.9%. Seasonality was similar for both persistent and non-persistent diarrhoea. In the crude analysis children of 12 months and older had a greater risk of developing persistent diarrhoea than those less than 12 months (odds ratio for children 12-23 months was 2.0 and for children 24-59 months 1.7; confidence intervals were 1.2-3.1 and 1.0-2.9 respectively); however, this difference was not found after logistic regression analysis. Poor nutritional status was a significant risk factor for persistent diarrhoea and remained so after controlling for confounding variables (odds ratio 2.7; confidence interval 1.8-4.0).