Table 1 Anthropometric, clinical and biochemical characteristics of 85 children admitted with severe acute malnutrition by visibility of the thymus^a

Female sex

85

37 (23)

18 (4)

0.11

Age, months

85

16.0 (12.8; 22.7)

17.3 (13.2; 22.7)

0.59

Edema

85

62 (39)

64 (14)

0.88

Still breastfeeding

80

17(10)

14(3)

1.00

 Mid-upper arm circumference, cm

84

11.7 ± 1.4

11.6 ± 1.2

0.84

 Weight-for-length z-score^c

85

−3.4 ± 1.5

−3.5 ± 1.3

0.75

 Weight-for-age Z-score^c

85

−3.9 ± 1.2

−3.9 ± 1.1

0.92

 Length-for-age Z-score

85

−3.1 ± 1.4

−3.0 ± 1.4

0.85

 HIV positive

77

16 (9)

32(6)

0.18

 Symptoms reported by caretaker

  Diarrhea

81

42 (25)

45 (10)

0.80

  Vomit

81

39 (23)

55 (12)

0.21

  Cough

81

54 (32)

68 (15)

0.75

  Fever

81

27 (22)

37 (6)

0.40

 How sick according to caretaker^d

80

6.4 ± 1.7

7.5 ± 2.2

0.03

 Pulse, B/min

81

138 ± 22

138 ± 21

0.95

 Respiratory rate

80

38 ± 11

37 ± 10

0.67

 Capillary refill time, sec

82

1.9 ± 0.8

2.1 ± 1.1

0.33

 Temperature >37.5 °C

83

24 (15)

25 (5)

0.94

 Oral thrush

71

26 (13)

29 (6)

0.82

 Able to complete first feed

73

80 (43)

53 (10)

0.02

 Hemoglobin, g/dL

80

9.1 ± 2.3

8.7 ± 2.3

0.42

 C-reactive protein, mg/L

65

19.4 (7.9; 37.3)

19.6 (12.8; 23.8)

0.19

   > 5 mg/L

65

83 (40)

94 (16)

0.43

 α₁-acid glycoprotein, g/L

65

2.24 ± 0.72

2.73 ± 0.66

0.02

 Sodium, mmol/L

81

138 ± 4

140 ± 5

0.03

 Potassium, mmol/L

81

4.2 ± 0.7

4.0 ± 0.9

0.47

  Admission

82

1.07 ± 0.31

1.03 ± 0.29

0.63

  Day two

72

1.55 ± 0.37

1.30 ± 0.35

0.01

  Change during first two days

70

0.50 ± 0.38

0.31 ± 0.31

0.07