Table 1. Children’s characteristics at recruitment, prospective cohort study of survival in children with hypoxaemia and/or hypoglycaemia on referral, Malawi, 2019–2020.
| Variable | No. (%) of childrena |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruited (n = 826) |
Completed follow-up (n = 784) |
Lost to follow-up (n = 42) | |
| Demographic | |||
| Age | |||
| < 2 months | 38 (4.6) | 38 (4.9) | 0 (0.0) |
| 2–11 months | 105 (12.7) | 98 (12.5) | 7 (16.7) |
| 12–59 months | 413 (50.0) | 390 (49.7) | 23 (54.8) |
| 5–12 years | 270 (32.7) | 258 (32.9) | 12 (28.6) |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 437 (52.9) | 419 (53.4) | 18 (42.9) |
| Female | 389 (47.1) | 365 (46.6) | 24 (57.1) |
| Socioeconomic | |||
| Mother’s age in years, mean (SD) | 28.9 (7.8) | 28.9 (7.7) | 28.9 (8.9) |
| Maternal education | |||
| None | 79 (9.6) | 73 (9.3) | 6 (14.3) |
| Primary | 659 (79.8) | 624 (79.6) | 35 (83.3) |
| Secondary or further | 85 (10.3) | 85 (10.8) | 0 (0.0) |
| Missing data | 3 (0.4) | 2 (0.3) | 1 (2.4) |
| Maternal marital status | |||
| Married | 703 (85.1) | 664 (84.7) | 39 (92.9) |
| Not married | 122 (14.8) | 119 (15.2) | 3 (7.1) |
| Missing data | 1 (0.1) | 1 (0.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Clinical | |||
| SpO2 | |||
| Mean value (SD), % | 94.9 (5.9) | 94.9 (5.9) | 94.4 (6.5) |
| Normoxaemiab | 637 (77.1) | 605 (77.2) | 32 (76.2) |
| Moderate hypoxaemiab | 108 (13.1) | 104 (13.3) | 4 (9.5) |
| Severe hypoxaemiab | 71 (8.6) | 65 (8.3) | 6 (14.3) |
| Missing datac | 10 (1.2) | 10 (1.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| Blood glucose | |||
| Mean concentration (SD), mmol/L | 5.8 (2.0) | 5.8 (2.0) | 5.8 (2.4) |
| Normoglycaemiab | 725 (87.8) | 687 (87.6) | 38 (90.5) |
| Moderate hypoglycaemiab | 74 (9.0) | 71 (9.1) | 3 (7.1) |
| Severe hypoglycaemiab | 19 (2.3) | 18 (2.3) | 1 (2.4) |
| Missing datad | 8 (1.0) | 8 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Routine diagnosise,f | |||
| Acute respiratory infection or pneumonia | 111 (13.6) | 105 (13.5) | 6 (14.6) |
| Malaria | 313 (38.3) | 301 (38.7) | 12 (29.3) |
| Sepsis or meningitis | 92 (11.3) | 86 (11.1) | 6 (14.6) |
| Diarrhoea | 18 (2.2) | 18 (2.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| Fever (unclassified) | 39 (4.8) | 38 (4.9) | 1 (2.4) |
| Skin condition | 39 (4.8) | 37 (4.8) | 2 (4.9) |
| Malnutrition | 36 (4.4) | 34 (4.4) | 2 (4.9) |
| Anaemia | 55 (6.7) | 53 (6.8) | 2 (4.9) |
| Trauma | 201 (24.6) | 193 (24.8) | 8 (19.5) |
| Other infectious condition | 13 (1.6) | 12 (1.5) | 1 (2.4) |
| Other non-infectious condition | 109 (13.3) | 101 (13.0) | 8 (19.5) |
SD: standard deviation; SpO2: peripheral blood oxygen saturation.
a All values in the table represent absolute numbers and percentages unless otherwise stated.
b Definitions of normoxaemia, hypoxaemia, normoglycaemia and hypoglycaemia are given in Box 1.
c Reasons for missing data were: (i) six children too agitated (6); (ii) three children unconscious and receiving care; and (iii) a biologically plausible value could not be obtained for one child.
d Reasons for missing data were: (i) no test strips available (one child); (ii) no lancet available (two children); (iii) glucometer not working (four children); and (iv) transport for referral was found before the test could be completed (one child).
e Diagnosis made by the health-care provider at recruitment.
f Children could receive more than one diagnosis.