Biomaterial Database

Mortality in severe protein-energy malnutrition at Nchelenge, Zambia. 1998

H B Gernaat, and W H Dechering, and H W Voorhoeve

Regional Institute of Community Mental Health Care, Division Meppel, The Netherlands.

At St Paul's Hospital, Nchelenge district, north-eastern Zambia, routine clinical management of 299 children up to 5 years of age with severe and/or complicated protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) was monitored and predictors of outcome analysed. PEM was typed according to a modified Wellcome classification. Overall mortality was 25.8 per cent with 13.4 per cent for kwashiorkor, 17.8 per cent for marasmus, 28.0 per cent for marasmic kwashiorkor, and 48.3 per cent for untyped cases of PEM. Mortality up to 18 months of age was related to the presence of dehydration, pneumonia or another infectious disorder, severe stunting, and a mid-upper arm circumference < or = 104 mm, suggesting that these children may have been born pre- and/or dysmaturely. At ages 19-60 months, the main predictor of mortality was pneumonia, with other infectious disorders and dehydration showing less impact. Routine administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics, irrespective of clinical signs of infection, is most probably the single most effective measure to reduce the high case-fatality rate due to PEM in developing countries.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D011502	Protein-Energy Malnutrition	The lack of sufficient energy or protein to meet the body's metabolic demands, as a result of either an inadequate dietary intake of protein, intake of poor quality dietary protein, increased demands due to disease, or increased nutrient losses.	Marasmus,Protein-Calorie Malnutrition,Malnutrition, Protein-Calorie,Malnutrition, Protein-Energy,Malnutritions, Protein-Energy,Protein Calorie Malnutrition,Protein Energy Malnutrition
D002423	Cause of Death	Factors which produce cessation of all vital bodily functions. They can be analyzed from an epidemiologic viewpoint.	Causes of Death,Death Cause,Death Causes
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003906	Developing Countries	Countries in the process of change with economic growth, that is, an increase in production, per capita consumption, and income. The process of economic growth involves better utilization of natural and human resources, which results in a change in the social, political, and economic structures.	LMICs,Less-Developed Countries,Low Income Countries,Low and Middle Income Countries,Lower-Middle-Income Country,Middle Income Countries,Third-World Countries,Under-Developed Countries,Developing Nations,Least Developed Countries,Less-Developed Nations,Third-World Nations,Under-Developed Nations,Countries, Middle Income,Countries, Third-World,Country, Least Developed,Country, Less-Developed,Country, Low Income,Country, Lower-Middle-Income,Country, Middle Income,Country, Third-World,Country, Under-Developed,Developed Country, Least,Developing Country,Developing Nation,Least Developed Country,Less Developed Countries,Less Developed Nations,Less-Developed Country,Less-Developed Nation,Low Income Country,Lower Middle Income Country,Lower-Middle-Income Countries,Middle Income Country,Nation, Less-Developed,Nation, Third-World,Nation, Under-Developed,Third World Countries,Third World Nations,Third-World Country,Third-World Nation,Under Developed Countries,Under Developed Nations,Under-Developed Country,Under-Developed Nation
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000704	Analysis of Variance	A statistical technique that isolates and assesses the contributions of categorical independent variables to variation in the mean of a continuous dependent variable.	ANOVA,Analysis, Variance,Variance Analysis,Analyses, Variance,Variance Analyses