Table 3. Crude and adjusteda mortality hazard ratios (HRs) for children < 5 years of age recently discharged from Kilifi District Hospital, by variable group, Kenya, 2004–2008.
| Clinical signs/symptoms | Crude HR | P | Adjusted HR | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fever/malaria | ||||
| Fever | 0.68 | < 0.01 | 0.91 | 0.46 |
| Temp. > 37.5 °C | 0.76 | < 0.01 | 1.15 | 0.35 |
| Temp. > 39 °C | 0.70 | 0.02 | 1.21 | 0.22 |
| Parasitaemia | 0.32 | < 0.01 | 0.46 | < 0.01 |
| Anaemia | 1.17 | 0.36 | 1.22 | 0.30 |
| Respiratory | ||||
| Cough | 1.14 | 0.30 | 1.00 | 0.99 |
| Difficulty breathing | 1.30 | < 0.01 | 0.82 | 0.16 |
| Tachypnea | 1.41 | < 0.01 | 1.05 | 0.75 |
| Indrawing | 1.57 | < 0.01 | 1.28 | 0.93 |
| Stridor | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.83 | 0.99 |
| Hypoxia | 2.91 | < 0.01 | 2.07 | < 0.01 |
| Gastrointestinal | ||||
| Vomiting | 0.87 | 0.35 | 0.88 | 0.35 |
| Diarrhoea | 1.21 | 0.13 | 1.21 | 0.18 |
| Meningitis/sepsis | ||||
| Bacteraemia | 2.72 | < 0.01 | 1.95 | < 0.01 |
| Convulsions | 0.56 | < 0.01 | 0.72 | 0.13 |
| Prostration | 1.36 | 0.02 | 1.42 | 0.05 |
| Lethargy | 1.63 | < 0.01 | 1.59 | < 0.01 |
| Agitation | 1.39 | 0.21 | 1.22 | 0.64 |
| Bulging fontanelle | 3.66 | < 0.01 | 2.43 | 0.02 |
| Stiff neck | 3.29 | 0.01 | 2.01 | 0.92 |
| Shock | 1.39 | 0.05 | 0.79 | 0.17 |
| Nutritionalb | ||||
| −3 < WAZ < −2 | 2.11 | < 0.01 | Included in “baseline” group | |
| −4 < WAZ < −3 | 4.97 | < 0.01 | 2.41 | < 0.01 |
| WAZ < −4 | 12.15 | < 0.01 | 2.87 | 0.04 |
| −3 < WHZ < −2 | 2.33 | < 0.01 | 0.98 | 0.96 |
| −4 < WHZ < −3 | 4.43 | < 0.01 | 1.00 | 0.99 |
| WHZ < −4 | 7.41 | < 0.01 | 0.91 | 0.88 |
| −3 < HAZ < −2 | 1.65 | < 0.01 | 0.97 | 0.89 |
| −4 < HAZ < −3 | 3.02 | < 0.01 | 1.11 | 0.74 |
| HAZ < −4 | 5.91 | < 0.01 | 0.83 | 0.68 |
| −3 < MUAC-Z < −2 | 3.37 | < 0.01 | 2.32 | < 0.01 |
| −4 < MUAC-Z < −3 | 6.78 | < 0.01 | 2.92 | < 0.01 |
| MUAC-Z < −4 | 18.21 | < 0.01 | 7.59 | < 0.01 |
| Oedema | 2.96 | < 0.01 | Dropped due to collinearity | |
| Uncategorized variables | ||||
| Wheezing | 0.26 | 0.68 | 0.40 | 0.05 |
| Admission to KEMRI | 1.46 | 0.01 | 1.23 | 0.17 |
| Hospitalization > 13 d | 4.61 | < 0.01 | 2.07 | < 0.01 |
| Jaundice | 1.84 | 0.01 | 1.67 | 0.06 |
| HIV infection | 3.34 | < 0.01 | 2.22 | 0.19 |
| Enlarged spleen | 1.55 | 0.03 | 2.10 | < 0.01 |
| Hepatomegaly | 2.76 | < 0.01 | 2.32 | < 0.01 |
| High serum creatinine | 0.78 | 0.19 | 0.80 | 0.30 |
| Hyperglycaemia | 1.01 | 0.98 | 0.97 | 0.99 |
| Hypoglycaemia | 2.09 | < 0.01 | 1.24 | 0.40 |
| Transfusion | 1.66 | < 0.01 | 1.63 | < 0.01 |
| Absconded | 4.65 | < 0.01 | 2.06 | 0.95 |
HAZ, height-for-age Z score; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; KEMRI, Kenya Medical Research Institute; MUAC-Z, mid-upper arm circumference Z score; WAZ, weight-for-age Z score; WHZ, weight-for-height Z score.
a Adjustment for age at discharge, weight-for-age Z score and covariates in same variable group.
b “Adjusted” model shown for children 2 to 59 months of age only (HAZ and WHZ unreliable in infants < 45 cm in length, MUAC-Z score not available for infants < 6 months of age). WAZ was used in the final multivariable models for all children < 5 years old.