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Table 1 Baseline Characteristics of 5131 children admitted at the Accident and Emergency Room, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital

From: Feeding practices and association of fasting and low or hypo glycaemia in severe paediatric illnesses in Malawi – a mixed method study

Variable

All

Normo-glycaemia (> 5 mmol/l)

Low-glycaemia (2.5 - < 5 mmol/l)

Hypoglycaemia (< 2.5 mmol/l)

N = 5131

N = 4685

N = 339

N = 107

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

N (%)

Age

  < 1 month

309 (6.0)

270 (5.8)

33 (9.7)

6 (5.6)

  ≥ 1 month- < 1 year

1536 (29.9)

1463 (31.2)

54 (15.9)

19 (17.8)

  ≥ 1 yr- 5 yrs

1934 (37.7)

1709 (36.1)

172 (50.7)

53 (49.5)

  > 5 yrs

1352 (26.4)

1243 (26.5)

80 (23.6)

29 (27.1)

 Median years (IQR)

1.8 (0.6–5.0)

1.7 (0.6–5.0)

2.6 (1.1–5.0)

2.5 (0.9–4.6)

Fasting hours

  ≥ 8 h

1314 (25.6)

1087 (23.2)

164 (48.4)

63 (58.9)

Sex

 Female

2114 (41.2)

1929 (41.2)

136 (40.1)

49 (45.8)

WHO emergency sign

 Present

3493 (68.1)

3204 (68.4)

207 (61.1)

82 (76.6)

Severe Malnutrition

 Yes

336 (6.6)

268 (5.7)

46 (13.6)

22 (20.7)

Referred from other facility

 Yes

3946 (76.9)

3571 (76.2)

283 (83.5)

92 (86.0)

  1. WHO emergency sign present if any of the following obstructed breathing, severe respiratory distress, cyanosis, coma, convulsion, shock and severe dehydration