Table 4.
Management of children presenting to the respiratory outpatient clinic with respiratory symptoms according to algorithm classification, before and after the intervention
| Classification* |
Before N = 1290 |
After N = 166 |
p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1a | |||
| Number | 22 | 6 | - |
| Admitted to hospital | 6 (27.3) | 1 (16.7) | - |
| Discharged with antibiotic | 13 (59.1) | 4 (66.6) | 0.1 |
| Discharged without antibiotic | 3 (13.6) | 1 (16.7) | |
| Group 2b | |||
| Number | 355 | 118 | - |
| Admitted to hospital | 14 (3.9) | 2 (1.7) | - |
| Discharged with antibiotic | 166 (46.7) | 34 (28.8) | < 0.0001 |
| Discharged without antibiotic | 175 (49.4) | 82 (69.5) | |
| Group 3c | |||
| Number | 913 | 42 | - |
| Admitted to hospital | 82 (8.9) | 11 (26.2) | - |
| Discharged with antibiotic | 383 (41.9) | 18 (42.9) | 0.2 |
| Discharged without antibiotic | 448 (49.2) | 13 (30.9) | |
*Classified according to groups described in Fig. 1 from retrospective data analysis
aChildren with any WHO danger sign or SpO2 < 90% OR consolidation on CXR or ANC ≥ 10 × 109/L (or CRP ≥ 50 mg/L). Suggested management: admit to the hospital and provide antibiotics
bChildren with wheeze/runny nose and no fever OR No consolidation on CXR and ANC < 5 × 109/L (or CRP < 10 mg/L). Suggested management: no hospital admission and no antibiotics
cChildren not belonging to groups 1 or 2. Suggested management: consider not to admit and consider oral antibiotics
ANC absolute neutrophil count, CXR chest radiograph, FBC full blood count, CRP C reactive protein, SpO2 peripheral oxygen saturation, WHO World Health Organization