Table 1.
Bivariable analysis of demographic and clinical characteristics by hospital outcome among febrile paediatric admissions in northern Tanzania, 2007–8
| Characteristic* | Overall (%) (n=466) | Hospital outcome
|
OR (95% CI) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alive (%) (n=432) | Dead (%) (n=34) | ||||
| Comae | 11/460 (2) | 3/426 (1) | 8/34 (24) | 43.4 (10.9 to 173) | <0.001 |
| Blantyre coma score <5 | 29/460 (6) | 14/426 (3) | 15/34 (44) | 23.2 (9.8 to 55.0) | <0.001 |
| Unable to sit aged >9 months | 53/323 (2) | 4/349 (1) | 5/24 (21) | 22.7 (5.6 to 91.5) | <0.001 |
| Central cyanosise | 5/462 (1) | 2/428 (0.5) | 3/34 (9) | 20.6 (3.3 to 128) | 0.003 |
| Deep breathing | 7/466 (2) | 3/432 (0.7) | 4/34 (12) | 19.0 (4.1 to 89.1) | <0.001 |
| Capillary refill >3 se | 16/466 (3) | 10/432 (2) | 6/34 (18) | 9.0 (3.0 to 26.7) | <0.001 |
| Unable to breastfeed/drink | 41/464 (9) | 28/430 (7) | 13/34 (38) | 8.9 (4.0 to 19.6) | <0.001 |
| Stiff neck | 26/461 (6) | 18/427 (4) | 8/34 (24) | 7.0 (2.8 to 17.6) | <0.001 |
| Bulging fontanelle | 10/445 (2) | 7/415 (2) | 3/30 (10) | 6.5 (1.6 to 26.5) | 0.024 |
| History of difficulty breathing | 179/464 (39) | 153/430 (36) | 26/34 (76) | 5.9 (2.6 to 12.3) | <0.001 |
| Severe anaemia | 41/458 (9) | 31/424 (7) | 10/34 (29) | 5.3 (2.3 to 12.0) | <0.001 |
| Lethargyp | 87/465 (19) | 70/431 (16) | 17/34 (50) | 5.2 (2.5 to 10.6) | <0.001 |
| Visible severe wastingp | 45/460 (10) | 35/427 (8) | 10/33 (30) | 4.9 (2.2 to 11.1) | <0.001 |
| Skin pinch >2 s | 29/464 (6) | 22/430 (5) | 7/34 (21) | 4.8 (1.9 to 12.3) | 0.003 |
| Abnormal breath sounds | 204/456 (45) | 179/423 (42) | 25/33 (76) | 4.3 (1.9 to 9.7) | <0.001 |
| Signs of respiratory difficultyp | 145/462 (31) | 124/428 (29) | 21/34 (62) | 4.0 (1.9 to 8.2) | <0.001 |
| Fever >7 days | 121/458 (26) | 103/425 (24) | 18/33 (55) | 3.8 (1.8 to 7.7) | <0.001 |
| Generalised lymphadenopathy† | 49/457 (11) | 40/424 (9) | 9/33 (27) | 3.6 (1.6 to 8.3) | 0.005 |
| Oral candidiasis | 40/459 (9) | 33/427 (8) | 7/32 (22) | 3.4 (1.4 to 8.3) | 0.015 |
| Convulsions in past 48 h | 67/461 (15) | 57/428 (13) | 10/33 (30) | 2.8 (1.3 to 6.3) | 0.017 |
| Anticonvulsant in past 6 h | 40/225 (18) | 32/202 (16) | 8/23 (35) | 2.8 (1.1 to 7.2) | 0.040 |
| Referral from other inpatient facility | 177/463 (38) | 157/429 (37) | 20/34 (59) | 2.5 (1.2 to 5.0) | 0.010 |
| Weight-for-age z score, median | −0.79 | −0.75 | −1.89 | 0.014 | |
| Median days ill prior to admission | 4 | 4 | 9.5 | 0.004 | |
Values represent numerator and denominator unless stated otherwise.
Characteristics evaluated but not associated with hospital outcome include: age, sex, mother’s education less than standard 7, median kilometres to hospital, antimicrobials in past 48 h, antimalarials in past 48 h, fever in past 48 h, diarrhoea ≥3 times in past 24 h, diarrhoea for >14 days, history of bloody diarrhoea, vomiting ≥3 times in past 24 h, history of vomiting everything, history of cough, sunken eyes, jaundice, severe pallor, stridor, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, pitting oedema bilaterally, severe acute malnutrition, mid-upper arm circumference <115 mm, hypoglycaemia, HIV-infected, malaria film positive and bacteremia (blood culture positive).
Defined as lymph node(s) >1 cm in >2 areas.
WHO emergency sign.
WHO priority sign.