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. 2020 Jun 21;10(6):e036814. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-036814

Table 1.

WHO IMCI criteria used to diagnose severe pneumonia or very severe disease

Variable name WHO IMCI criteria
Severe pneumonia cases detected for the intervention group A child with cough or difficult breathing plus at least one of the following signs:

  • Any general danger signs (unable to drink or breast feed, vomiting everything, convulsion or lethargic) or stridor in calm child


In addition, one of the following symptoms of pneumonia:

  • Fast breathing (respiratory rate ≥50 breaths/min in children aged 2 up to 11 months and respiratory rate ≥40 breaths/min in children aged 12 months up to 5 years)

  • Lower chest wall in-drawing

    AND/OR

  • Oxygen saturation <90% as measured by pulse oximetry
Severe pneumonia cases detected for the control group A child with cough or difficult breathing plus at least one of the following signs:

  • Any general danger signs (unable to drink or breastfeed, vomiting everything, convulsion or lethargic) or stridor in calm child


In addition, one of the following symptoms of pneumonia:

  • Fast breathing (respiratory rate ≥50 breaths/min in children aged 2 up to 11 months and respiratory rate ≥40 breaths/min in children aged 12 months up to 5 years)

  • Lower chest wall in-drawing

IMCI, Integrated Management of Childhood Illness.