Table 4. Children’s characteristics at recruitment, by blood glucose concentration, prospective cohort study of survival in children with hypoxaemia and/or hypoglycaemia on referral, Malawi, 2019–2020.
| Variable | No. (%) of children |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normoglycaemica (n = 725) | Moderately hypoglycaemica (n = 74) | Severely hypoglycaemica (n = 19) | Missing data (n = 8) | |
| Demographic characteristic | ||||
| Age | ||||
| < 2 months | 32 (4.4) | 4 (5.4) | 1 (5.3) | 1 (12.5) |
| 2–11 months | 96 (13.2) | 4 (5.4) | 3 (15.8) | 2 (25.0) |
| 12–59 months | 358 (49.4) | 38 (51.4) | 13 (68.4) | 4 (50.0) |
| 5–12 years | 239 (33.0) | 28 (37.8) | 2 (10.5) | 1 (12.5) |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 387 (53.4) | 36 (48.7) | 7 (36.8) | 7 (87.5) |
| Female | 338 (46.6) | 38 (51.4) | 12 (63.2) | 1 (12.5) |
| Clinical characteristic | ||||
| Fast breathingb | ||||
| Not present | 93 (12.8) | 5 (6.8) | 4 (21.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| Present | 57 (7.9) | 11 (14.9) | 2 (10.5) | 0 (0.0) |
| Missing data | 575 (79.3) | 58 (78.4) | 13 (68.4) | 8 (100.0) |
| Temperature, °C | ||||
| < 35.5 | 26 (3.6) | 2 (2.7) | 2 (10.5) | 1 (12.5) |
| 35.5–37.4 | 340 (46.9) | 40 (54.1) | 11 (57.9) | 3 (37.5) |
| ≥ 37.5 | 266 (36.7) | 23 (31.1) | 5 (26.3) | 2 (25.0) |
| Missing data | 93 (12.8) | 9 (12.2) | 1 (5.3) | 2 (25.0) |
| Malaria status | ||||
| mRDT-positive | 244 (33.7) | 21 (28.4) | 5 (26.3) | 2 (25.0) |
| mRDT-negative | 79 (10.9) | 9 (12.2) | 4 (21.1) | 1 (12.5) |
| No mRDT result | 402 (55.5) | 44 (59.5) | 10 (52.6) | 5 (62.5) |
| Chest indrawingc | ||||
| Not present | 613 (84.6) | 61 (82.4) | 15 (79.0) | 7 (87.5) |
| Present | 112 (15.5) | 12 (16.2) | 3 (15.8) | 1 (12.5) |
| Missing data | 0 (0.0) | 1 (1.4) | 1 (5.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| Danger signsd | ||||
| Not present | 323 (44.5) | 32 (43.2) | 4 (21.0) | 3 (37.5) |
| Present | 402 (55.5) | 42 (56.8) | 15 (79.0) | 5 (62.5) |
| Severely underweight | ||||
| No | 636 (87.7) | 51 (68.9) | 9 (47.4) | 6 (75.0) |
| Yes | 89 (12.3) | 23 (31.1) | 10 (52.6) | 2 (25.0) |
| Routine diagnosise,f | ||||
| Acute respiratory infection or pneumonia | 100 (13.8) | 6 (8.1) | 3 (15.8) | 2 (25.0) |
| Malaria | 274 (37.8) | 27 (36.5) | 10 (52.6) | 2 (25.0) |
| Sepsis or meningitis | 74 (10.2) | 13 (17.6) | 4 (21.1) | 1 (12.5) |
| Diarrhoea | 15 (2.1) | 1 (1.4) | 1 (5.3) | 1 (12.5) |
| Fever (unclassified) | 32 (4.4) | 6 (8.1) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (12.5) |
| Skin condition | 38 (5.2) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Malnutrition | 21 (2.9) | 9 (12.2) | 6 (31.6) | 0 (0.0) |
| Anaemia | 44 (6.1) | 8 (10.8) | 2 (10.5) | 1 (12.5) |
| Trauma | 189 (26.1) | 11 (14.9) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (12.5) |
| Other infectious condition | 11 (1.5) | 2 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
| Other non-infectious condition | 91 (12.6) | 13 (17.6) | 3 (15.8) | 2 (25.0) |
mRDT: malaria rapid diagnostic test.
a Definitions of normoglycaemia and hypoglycaemia 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.