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Table 4 Final diagnosis and risk of death of undernourished children under 5 years

From: Undernourished children presenting to an urban emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Tanzania: a prospective descriptive study

Clinical variables

Overall

n/N (%)

Died

n/N (%)

Survived

n/N (%)

RR(95% CI)

P value

Provider’s diagnosis

 Congenital heart diseases

28/135 (20.7%)

2/18 (11.1%)

26/117 (22.2%)

0.5 (0.1–1.7)

0.44

 Pneumonia

15/135 (11.1%)

3/18 (16.7%)

12/117 (10.3%)

1.6 (0.5–4.2)

0.69

 Cerebral palsy

12/135 (8.9%)

1/18 (5.6%)

11/117 (9.4%)

0.6 (0.1–2.8)

0.93

 Acute malnutrition

9/135 (6.7%)

3/18 (16.7%)

6/117 (5.1%)

2.8 (1.0–6.6)

0.19

 Tumours

9/135 (6.7%)

2/18 (11.1%)

7/117 (6.0%)

1.8 (0.5–5.0)

0.76

Vital signs, point of care test

 Bradypnea

8/133 (6.0%)

1/18 (5.6%)

7/115 (6.1%)

0.9 (0.2–3.9)

> 0.99

 Tachycardia

34/134 (25.3%)

10/18 (55.5%)

24/116 (21.6%)

3.7 (1.6–8.3)

< 0.01

 Hypotension

8/21 (38.1%)

3/8 (37.5%)

5/13 (38.5%)

1.0 (0.3–2.8)

> 0.99

 Low AVPU score (GCS < 15)

21/132 (15.6%)

8/18 (44.4%)

13/114 (11.4%)

4.2 (1.9–9.1)

< 0.01

 Fever (T > 37.5 °C)

28/135 (20.7%)

5/18 (27.8%)

23/117 (19.7%)

1.5 (0.6–3.5)

0.63

 Hypoglycaemia (RBG < 3.5)

3/55 (5.5%)

1/16 (6.3%)

2/39 (5.1%)

1.2 (0.2–3.3)

> 0.99

 Hypokalaemia

10/35 (28.6%)

3/10 (30.0%)

7/25 (28.0%)

1.1 (0.3–3.0)

0.90

Undernutrition classification

 Mild type

39/135 (28.9%)

5/18 (27.8%)

34/117 (29.1%)

1.0 (0.4–2.3)

> 0.99

 Moderate type

49/135 (36.3%)

5/18 (27.8%)

44/117 (37.6%)

0.7 (0.3–1.7)

0.59

 Severe type

47/135 (34.8%)

8/18 (44.4%)

39/117 (33.3%)

1.5 (0.6–3.4)

0.51