Muhammad Akber Nizamani, Abrar Shaikh, Mukhtiar Siyal, Shagufta Memon.
A one-year audit of causes of mortality and role of Malnutrition in hospitalized children aged 2 months to 5 years at Peoples Medical College Hospital Nawabshah.
Med Channel Jan ;10(2):17-22.

OBJECTIVES: To audit the causes of mortality of hospitalized children aged 2 months to 5 years over a period of one year at a teaching hospital of rural Sindh with special emphasis on role of malnutrition. STUDY DESIGN: One year cross sectional analytical study. SETTINGS: Study was conducted at Department of Pediatrics of Peoples Medical College Hospital (PMCH) during a period of 1st January 1998 to 31st December 1998. SUBJECTS & METHODS: All children who were admitted at Pediatrics Department were enrolled in specifically designed register during this period. Admission charts of all children who died were kept separately with all details of history examination and treatment. All information was then reproduced on a mortality proforma and analyzed at the end of study period for the age 2 months to 5 years. RESULTS: During the full year of 1998, a total of 4221 children were admitted at Pediatrics Department PMCH Nawabshah. Males were 61.7 % and Females were 38.3 %. About 50% of admissions were in age group 2 months to 5 years. 65.5% patients were underweight. Total 648 children of all ages (15.3% of admissions) died; of which, 62.3% were males and 37.7% were females. 261 (40.3 %) of children belonged to age group 2 months to 5 years; of which, 58.6% were males and 41.4% were females. Of those who died, 185 (71%) were underweight. Septic meningitis, marasmus, persistent diarrhea/dysentery, severe pneumonia, viral encephalitis, cerebral malaria, measles and post measles state, septicemia, childhood tetanus, acute diarrhea and tuberculosis in descending order were found to be the main causes of death. CONCLUSION: Malnutrition was found to be very significant factor affecting the outcome in majority of cases.

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