Table 2. Children’s characteristics at recruitment, by blood oxygen level, prospective cohort study of survival in children with hypoxaemia and/or hypoglycaemia on referral, Malawi, 2019–2020.
| Variable | No. (%) of children |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normoxaemica (n = 637) | Moderately hypoxaemica (n = 108) | Severely hypoxaemica (n = 71) | Missing data (n = 10) | |
| Demographic characteristic | ||||
| Age | ||||
| < 2 months | 18 (2.8) | 7 (6.5) | 11 (15.5) | 2 (20.0) |
| 2–11 months | 60 (9.4) | 22 (20.4) | 20 (28.2) | 3 (30.0) |
| 12–59 months | 310 (48.7) | 69 (63.9) | 29 (40.9) | 5 (50.0) |
| 5–12 years | 249 (39.1) | 10 (9.3) | 11 (15.5) | 0 (0.0) |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 339 (53.2) | 57 (52.8) | 37 (52.1) | 4 (40.0) |
| Female | 298 (46.8) | 51 (47.2) | 34 (47.9) | 6 (60.0) |
| Clinical characteristic | ||||
| Fast breathingb | ||||
| Not present | 76 (11.9) | 18 (16.7) | 6 (8.5) | 2 (20.0) |
| Present | 51 (8.0) | 8 (7.4) | 11 (15.5) | 0 (0.0) |
| Missing data | 510 (80.1) | 82 (75.9) | 54 (76.1) | 8 (80.0) |
| Temperature, °C | ||||
| < 35.5 | 27 (4.2) | 1 (0.9) | 2 (2.8) | 1 (10.0) |
| 35.5–37.4 | 317 (49.8) | 45 (41.7) | 27 (38.0) | 5 (50.0) |
| ≥ 37.5 | 202 (31.7) | 55 (50.9) | 35 (49.3) | 4 (40.0) |
| Missing data | 91 (14.3) | 7 (6.5) | 7 (9.9) | 0 (0.0) |
| Malaria status | ||||
| mRDT-positive | 205 (32.2) | 37 (34.3) | 28 (39.4) | 2 (20.0) |
| mRDT-negative | 60 (9.4) | 17 (15.7) | 14 (19.7) | 2 (20.0) |
| No mRDT result | 372 (58.4) | 54 (50.0) | 29 (40.9) | 6 (60.0) |
| Chest indrawingc | ||||
| Not present | 576 (90.4) | 72 (66.7) | 40 (56.3) | 8 (80.0) |
| Present | 60 (9.4) | 36 (33.3) | 30 (42.3) | 2 (20.0) |
| Missing data | 1 (0.2) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0) |
| Danger signsd | ||||
| Not present | 325 (51.0) | 22 (20.4) | 11 (15.5) | 4 (40.0) |
| Present | 312 (49.0) | 86 (79.6) | 60 (84.5) | 6 (60.0) |
| Severely underweight | ||||
| No | 546 (85.7) | 88 (81.5) | 60 (84.5) | 8 (80.0) |
| Yes | 91 (14.3) | 20 (18.5) | 11 (15.5) | 2 (20.0) |
| Routine diagnosise,f | ||||
| Acute respiratory infection or pneumonia | 45 (7.1) | 31 (28.7) | 32 (45.1) | 3 (30.0) |
| Malaria | 229 (36.0) | 53 (49.1) | 28 (39.4) | 3 (30.0) |
| Sepsis or meningitis | 63 (9.9) | 17 (15.7) | 12 (16.9) | 0 (0.0) |
| Diarrhoea | 14 (2.2) | 3 (2.8) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) |
| Fever (unclassified) | 22 (3.5) | 11 (10.2) | 6 (8.5) | 0 (0.0) |
| Skin condition | 33 (5.2) | 5 (4.6) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (10.0) |
| Malnutrition | 28 (4.4) | 6 (5.6) | 2 (2.8) | 0 (0.0) |
| Anaemia | 40 (6.3) | 8 (7.4) | 7 (9.9) | 0 (0.0) |
| Trauma | 190 (29.8) | 6 (5.6) | 4 (5.6) | 1 (10.0) |
| Other infectious condition | 12 (1.9) | 1 (0.9) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Other non-infectious condition | 89 (14.0) | 6 (5.6) | 12 (16.9) | 2 (20.0) |
mRDT: malaria rapid diagnostic test.
a Definitions of normoxaemia and hypoxaemia are given in Box 1.
b Fast breathing was a rate ≥ 60 breaths/min in children aged < 2 months, ≥ 50 breaths/min in those aged 2–11 months, ≥ 40 breaths/min in those aged 12–59 months (World Health Organization Integrated Management of Childhood Illness 2014 guidelines)1 and ≥ 30 breaths/min in those aged 5–12 years (World Health Organization Integrated Management of Adolescent and Adult Illness 2012 guidelines).25
c Severe chest indrawing in children aged < 2 months.
d Danger signs are described in Box 1.
e Diagnosis made by the health-care provider at recruitment.
f Children could receive more than one diagnosis.