Table 2 Clinical and biochemical correlates of oedema among 120 children with severe acute malnutrition on hospital admission

Female sex

120

36 (28)

42 (18)

0.55

0.85 (0.38; 1.86)

0.68

Age, months

120

17.7 (13.5; 23.3)

15.0 (10.5; 19.5)

0.006

1.06 (1.01;1.12)

0.03

Currently breastfed

111

7 (5)

33 (14)

<0.001

0.19 (0.06; 0.59)

0.004

Lived with mother last two months

114

68 (49)

86 (36)

0.04

0.42 (0.15; 1.17)

0.10

Anthropometric data

 Mid-upper arm circumference, cm

117

12.1 ± 1.4

10.6 ± 0.6

<0.0001

3.72 (2.18; 6.35)

<0.001

 Weight-for-height, Z^d

120

−3.0 ± 1.4

−4.1 ± 1.0

<0.0001

2.10 (1.43; 3.08)

<0.001

 Height-for-age, Z

120

−3.1 ± 1.4

−3.2 ± 1.5

0.58

1.47 (1.05; 2.06)

0.03

 Recalled birth weight, kg^e

88

3.4 ± 0.9

3.5 ± 0.9

0.53

0.84 (0.51; 1.39)

0.49

Child’s clinical data

 HIV-infected children

104

12 (8)

31 (12)

0.02

0.10 (0.03; 0.41)

0.001

 Reported symptoms on admission

 Diarrhoea

112

43 (17)

63 (25)

0.04

0.45 (0.20; 1.02)

0.06

 Cough

112

54 (39)

78 (31)

0.02

0.33 (0.13; 0.82)

0.02

 Fever

112

26 (19)

65 (26)

<0.001

0.22 (0.09;0.51)

<0.001

 Axillary temperature > 37.5°C

116

16 (12)

43 (18)

0.002

0.28 (0.11; 0.68)

0.005

 Axillary temperature < 36.0°C

116

16 (12)

0 (0)

0.006

-^g

-

 Observed appetite^f

95

83 (52)

69 (22)

0.13

2.55 (0.89; 7.31)

0.08

Biochemical data on admission

 Plasma c-reactive protein, mg/L

83

17.9 (6.2; 32.7)

20.0 (12.1; 42.3)

0.51

0.99 (0.98; 1.00)

0.28

 > 10 mg/L

67 (38)

77 (20)

0.35

0.48 (0.16; 1.43)

0.19

 Plasma α₁-acid glycoprotein, g/L

83

2.46 ± 0.62

2.26 ± 0.92

0.26

1.35 (0.70; 2.60)

0.38

 Haemoglobin, g/dL

112

8.9 ± 2.2

9.2 ± 2.5

0.46

0.98 (0.82; 1.17)

0.82