Table 2.
Observed clinical characteristics of infants admitted to hospitals or evaluated at health centers diagnosed with pneumonia based on the 2000 Malawi Ministry of Health guidelines
| Patient and clinical characteristics | Hospitals, N = 1,618 | Health centers, N = 235 | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpO2, median value, % (IQR) | 96 (92–98) | 94 (89–97) | < 0.001 |
| SpO2 > 92%, n (%, 95% CI) | 1,088 (67.2, 64.9–69.5) | 123 (52.3, 45.9–58.7) | < 0.001 |
| SpO2 90–92%, n (%, 95% CI) | 184 (11.4, 9.9–13.0) | 30 (12.8, 9.1–17.7) | |
| SpO2 < 90%, n (%, 95% CI) | 219 (13.5, 12.0–15.3) | 53 (22.6, 17.6–28.4) | |
| Unrecorded SpO2, n (%, 95% CI) | 127 (7.9, 6.6–9.3) | 29 (12.3, 8.7–17.2) | |
| Respiratory rate, median (IQR) | 64 (59–69) | 63 (61–67) | 0.50 |
| Missing, n (%) | 110 (6.8) | 16 (6.8) | |
| Weight (kg), mean (SD) | 4.4 (1.6) | 4.5 (1.5) | 0.23 |
| Missing, n (%) | 69 (4.3) | 12 (5.1) | |
| Male, n (%, 95% CI) | 918 (56.7, 54.3–59.1) | 113 (48.1, 41.7–54.5) | 0.07 |
| Female, n (%, 95% CI) | 657 (40.6, 38.2–43.0) | 105 (44.7, 38.4–51.1) | |
| Missing, n (%) | 43 (2.7) | 17 (7.2) | |
| WAZ > −2, n (%, 95% CI) | 1,256 (77.6, 75.5–79.6) | 175 (74.5, 68.5–79.6) | 0.37 |
| −3 < WAZ ≤ −2, n (%, 95% CI) | 172 (10.6, 9.2–12.2) | 26 (11.1, 7.6–15.8) | |
| WAZ ≤ −3, n (%, 95% CI) | 85 (5.3, 4.3–6.5) | 7 (3.0, 1.4–6.1) | |
| Missing, n (%) | 105 (6.5) | 27 (11.5) | |
| Chest wall indrawing, n (%, 95% CI) | 1,471 (90.9, 89.4–92.2) | 165 (70.2, 64.0–75.7) | < 0.001 |
| Missing, n (%) | 67 (4.1) | 7 (3.0) | |
| WHO danger signs,* n (%, 95% CI) | 377 (23.3, 21.3–25.4) | 63 (26.8, 21.5–32.9) | 0.64 |
| Missing, n (%) | 196 (12.1) | 10 (4.3) | |
| Severe respiratory distress,† n (%, 95% CI) | 1,096 (67.7, 65.4–70.0) | 133 (56.6, 50.2–62.8) | < 0.001 |
| Missing, n (%) | 147 (9.1) | 8 (3.4) |
IQR = interquartile range; SpO2 = peripheral capillary oxyhemoglobin saturation; WAZ = WHO weight-for-age z-score.
* Danger signs include central cyanosis, stridor in a calm child, apnea, or a general danger sign (inability to drink and/or breastfeed, lethargy or unconscious, or convulsions).
† Severe respiratory distress: grunting, head nodding, or nasal flaring.