Table 2.
Clinical characteristics with classification of undernutritiona in children
| Abnormal clinical findings | Overall (Nb = 146) n/N (%) | Mild (N = 42) n/N (%) | Moderate (N = 51) n/N (%) | Severe(N = 53) n/N (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief complaints | ||||
| Fever | 36/146 (24.7) | 14/42 (33.3) | 13/51 (25.5) | 9/53 (17.0) |
| Coughing | 35/146 (24.0) | 9/42 (21.4) | 12/51 (23.5) | 14/53 (26.4) |
| Difficulty in breathing | 26/146 (17.8) | 7/42 (16.7) | 7/51 (13.7) | 13/53 (24.5) |
| Failure to thrive | 15/146 (10.3) | 2/42 (4.8) | 7/51 (13.7) | 6/53 (11.3) |
| Lower limb swelling | 9/146 (6.2) | 2/42 (4.8) | 4/51 (7.8) | 3/53 (5.7) |
| Vital signs | ||||
| Hypoxia (SPO2 < 90%) | 9/144 (6.3) | 1/41 (2.4) | 2/50 (4.0) | 6/53 (11.3) |
| Bradypnea | 8/143 (5.6) | 5/41 (12.2) | 2/50 (4.0) | 1/52 (1.9) |
| Tachycardia | 35/142 (24.6) | 11/41 (26.8) | 14/49 (28.6) | 10/52 (19.2) |
| Temperature > 37.5 °C | 29/146 (19.9) | 8/42 (19.0) | 9/51 (17.6) | 12/53 (22.6) |
| Low AVPU score (GCS < 15) | 23/143 (16.1) | 8/42 (19.0) | 8/48 (16.7) | 7/51 (13.7) |
| Point of care tests (POCs) | ||||
| Hypoglycaemia < 3.5 mmol/dl | 3/58 (5.2) | 1/16 (6.3) | 1/15 (6.7) | 1/27 (3.7) |
| Hypokalaemia | 12/39 (30.8) | 2/11 (18.2) | 5/12 (41.7) | 5/15 (33.3) |
| Hyponatremia | 29/39 (74.4) | 8/11 (72.7) | 9/12 (75.0) | 12/16 (75.0) |
| Haemoglobin (< 10.9 g/dl) | 37/48 (77.1) | 13/15 (86.7) | 11/13 (84.6) | 13/20 (65.0) |
| Child’s chronic disease | ||||
| Congenital heart diseases | 29/146 (19.9%) | 4/42 (9.5%) | 8/5 1 (15.7%) | 17/53 (32.1%) |
| Cerebral palsy | 19/146 (13.0%) | 4/42 (9.5%) | 7/51 (13.7%) | 8/53 (15.1%) |
| Hydrocephalus | 5/146 (3.4%) | 0 | 4/51 (7.8%) | 1/53 (1.9%) |
aZ-scores for WFH/WFL, HFA, and WFA were calculated and for each patient. The most severe Z-score for each child was used and interpreted as severe for a Z-score < −3 SD, moderate for a Z-score between −3 SD and < −2 SD, and mild for a Z-score between −2 SD and < −1 SD
bN represents the total number of children in each column that had the test/variable recorded