Prevalence of undernutrition and risk factors of severe undernutrition among children admitted to Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a major public health problem in developing countries including Tanzania, contributing up to 50 % of under-five mortality. East Africa region was among the three United Nations (UN) subregions with the highest prevalence of stunting in 2011. In resource limited countries, the available little resources in hospitals are likely to be used focusing the primary clinical problem that led to admission of children leaving moderate and mild malnutrion unattended. This work was conducted to determine the prevalence of under-nutrition and risk factors associated with severe malnutrition among undernourished children aged 6–60 months admitted to Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) paediatric wards. METHOD: This was a hospital-based cross sectional study where by 720 children were screened in order to determine their nutritional status. Data were collected through measurement of weight/length or height, mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) and interpretation was done using Z-score (mild malnutrition ≤1SD, moderate malnutrition ≤2SD and severe malnutrition ≤3SD). The socio-demographic data were obtained using a questionnaire that was completed by interviewing children’s parents/caregiver. RESULTS: Out of 720 screened children, 402 (55.8 %) were undernourished. Severe malnutrition was found in 178 (24.7 %) children and among these 97 (54.5 %) had marasmus. Risk factors associated with severe malnutrition were children with age less than 2 years, lack of vaccination, taking unbalanced diet, low maternal education and single parent, with p-value (<0.001, < 0.001, <0.001, 0.02, < 0.001) respectively. CONCLUSION: This study show a high prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized children and the majority was marasmic. The risk factors associated with severe malnutrition were described. We recommend improving the screening for undernutrition in all admitted patients so that proper management of this problem can be done concurrently with the primary clinical disease that led to admission

Factors Associated with Colonization of Streptococcus Pneumoniae among Under-fives Attending Clinic in Mwanza City, Tanzania

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a known cause of severe invasive bacterial infection leading to morbidity and mortality among children in sub-Saharan Africa. Nasopharyngeal colonization of S.pneumoniae is a critical step towards invasive disease progression. The objective of this study was to investigate the magnitude of nasopharyngeal carriage of S. pneumoniae and its associated factors in Mwanza, Tanzania. Children underfives attending Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) clinics in Mwanza, Tanzania clinics were enrolled and investigated for nasopharyngeal carriage of S. pneumoniae. Demographic and clinical data were collected using standardized data collection tool. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken and processed as per standard laboratory procedures. S. pneumoniae isolates were identified using conventional methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disc diffusion method as described by Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute. Among 350 children enrolled in the study, 172 (49.1) were females and 309 (88.3%) were below 2 years of age. A total of 253 (72.3%) children had received at least one dose of pneumococcal vaccine (Prevanar 13) whereas 83 (23.7%) had used antibiotics at median duration of 5 days in the past 14 days. Out of 350 underfives, 43 (12.3%) were found to carry S. pneumoniae in their nasopharynx. Children with chronic diseases and those at school were 3.4 and 4.4 times more at risk to be carriers of S. pneumoniae than their counterpart group (OR; 3.4 (CI(1.0-11.6) 95%, p=0.05) and OR; 4.4 (CI (1.2-15.7) 95%, p=0.023), respectively. Number of children at home, positive HIV status and someone smoking showed association with S. pneumoniae carriage but the differences were not statistically significant. The resistance levels of S. pneumoniae to penicillin, co-trimoxazole and erythromycin were 40%, 88.2% and 41.7%, respectively. However all of the S. pneumoniae isolates were found to be 100% sensitive to ciprofloxacin. A high nasopharyngeal carriage of penicillin resistant S. pneumoniae is observed in Mwanza, Tanzania despite a good coverage of pneumococcal vaccination. The carriage is significantly associated with schooling and presence chronic diseases. Continuous surveillance of penicillin resistant strains coupled with serotyping of the isolates is highly recommended to determine the influence of the pneumococcal vaccination

Post-hospital mortality in children aged 2-12 years in Tanzania: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND:Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of child mortality worldwide. Little is known about post-hospital outcomes after an index hospitalization for older children. We determined 12-month post-hospital mortality rate and identified factors associated with higher mortality. METHODS:In this prospective cohort study, we enrolled children 2-12 years of age admitted to the pediatric wards of two public hospitals in northwestern Tanzania. Participants or proxies were contacted at 3, 6 and 12 months post-hospitalization. The primary outcome measured was mortality. Factors associated with mortality were determined using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS:A total of 506 participants were enrolled. In-hospital mortality rate was 7.7% (39/506). Of the 467 participants discharged, the post-hospital mortality rate was 10.1% (47/467). Sickle cell disease (Hazard Ratio (HR) 3.32, 95% CI 1.44-7.68), severe malnutrition (HR 3.19, 95% CI 1.18-8.57), neurologic diseases (HR 3.51, 95% CI 1.35-9.11), heart disease (HR 7.11, 95% CI, 2.89-17.51), cancer (HR 11.79, 95% CI 4.95-28.03), and septic shock (HR 4.64, 95% CI 1.42-15.08) had higher association with mortality compared to other diagnoses. The risk factors significantly associated with mortality included older age (HR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.08), lower hemoglobin level (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.76-0.90), lower Glasgow Coma Scale (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.59-0.74), history of decreased urine output (HR 2.87, 95% CI 1.49-5.53), higher respiratory rate (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.03), estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 ml/min/1.73m2 (binary) (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.10-3.10), and lower oxygen saturation (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.92-0.99). CONCLUSIONS:Post-hospital mortality is disturbingly high among children 2-12 years of age in Tanzania. Post-hospital interventions are urgently needed especially for older children with chronic illnesses

Prevalence and factors associated with renal dysfunction in children admitted to two hospitals in northwestern Tanzania

Abstract Background It is evident that renal dysfunction (RD) is associated with unique infectious and non-infectious causes in African children. However, little data exists about the prevalence and factors associated with RD in children admitted to African hospitals. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled all children admitted to pediatric wards of Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) and Sekou-Toure Regional Referral hospital (SRRH) during a 6 month time period. Socio-demographical, clinical and laboratory data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using modified Schwartz equation and those with < 60 ml/min/1.73m2were considered to have RD. Data analysis was done using STATA version 13 and considered significant when p-value was < 0.05. Results A total of 513 children were enrolled, of which 297 (57.9%) were males. Median age of children with and without RD was 34 months (27–60) and 46.5 (29–72) respectively. Prevalence of RD was 16.2%. Factors associated with RD were herbal medication use (p = 0.007), history of sore throat or skin infection (p = 0.024), sickle cell disease (SCD) (p = 0.006), dehydration (p = 0.001), malaria (p = 0.01) and proteinuria (p = < 0.001). Conclusions High prevalence of RD was observed among children admitted to referral hospitals in Mwanza. Screening for RD should be performed on admitted children, particularly those with history of herbal medication use, sore throat/skin infection, SCD, dehydration and malaria. Where creatinine measurement is not possible, screening for proteinuria is a reasonable alternative

Reversible Severe Pulmonary Hypertension after Adenotonsillectomy: A Case Report of a Child Treated at Bugando Medical Centre, Northwestern Tanzania

Upper airway obstruction (UAO) due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy represents one of the rare causes of pulmonary hypertension in children. We report a case of adenotonsillar hypertrophy, managed at pediatric and otorhinolaryngology departments in Bugando Medical Centre (BMC), northwestern Tanzania, with complete remission of symptoms of pulmonary hypertension following adenotonsillectomy. A 17-month-old boy presented with difficulty breathing, dry cough, and noisy breathing since 1 year. He had facial and lower limb oedema with a pan systolic murmur at the tricuspid area, fine crepitations, and tender hepatomegaly. A grade II tonsillar hypertrophy and hypertrophied adenoids were seen on nasal and throat evaluation. A 2D-echocardiography showed grossly distended right atrium and ventricle, dilated pulmonary artery, and grade III tricuspid regurgitation. His final diagnosis was severe pulmonary hypertension with right-sided heart failure due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy. He had complete remission of cardiopulmonary symptoms after adenotonsillectomy and had normal control echocardiography six and twelve months after surgery. Children with symptoms of upper airway obstruction and cardiopulmonary involvement could benefit from routine screening for pulmonary hypertension. Adenotonsillectomy should be considered for possible complete remission of both UAO and cardiopulmonary symptoms

Very severe anemia and one year mortality outcome after hospitalization in Tanzanian children: A prospective cohort study.

BackgroundAfrica has the highest rates of child mortality. Little is known about outcomes after hospitalization for children with very severe anemia.ObjectiveTo determine one year mortality and predictors of mortality in Tanzanian children hospitalized with very severe anemia.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study enrolling children 2-12 years hospitalized from August 2014 to November 2014 at two public hospitals in northwestern Tanzania. Children were screened for anemia and followed until 12 months after discharge. The primary outcome measured was mortality. Predictors of mortality were determined using Cox regression analysis.ResultsOf the 505 children, 90 (17.8%) had very severe anemia and 415 (82.1%) did not. Mortality was higher for children with very severe anemia compared to children without over a one year period from admission, 27/90 (30.0%) vs. 59/415 (14.2%) respectively (Hazard Ratio (HR) 2.42, 95% Cl 1.53-3.83). In-hospital mortality was 11/90 (12.2%) and post-hospital mortality was 16/79 (20.2%) for children with very severe anemia. The strongest predictors of mortality were age (HR 1.01, 95% Cl 1.00-1.03) and decreased urine output (HR 4.30, 95% Cl 1.04-17.7).ConclusionsChildren up to 12 years of age with very severe anemia have nearly a 30% chance of mortality following admission over a one year period, with over 50% of mortality occurring after discharge. Post-hospital interventions are urgently needed to reduce mortality in children with very severe anemia, and should include older children

Development of pediatric acute care education (PACE): An adaptive electronic learning (e-learning) environment for healthcare providers in Tanzania

Globally, inadequate healthcare provider (HCP) proficiency with evidence-based guidelines contributes to millions of newborn, infant, and child deaths each year. HCP guideline proficiency would improve patient outcomes. Conventional (in person) HCP in-service education is limited in 4 ways: reach, scalability, adaptability, and the ability to contextualize. Adaptive e-learning environments (AEE), a subdomain of e-learning, incorporate artificial intelligence technology to create a unique cognitive model of each HCP to improve education effectiveness. AEEs that use existing internet access and personal mobile devices may overcome limits of conventional education. This paper provides an overview of the development of our AEE HCP in-service education, Pediatric Acute Care Education (PACE). PACE uses an innovative approach to address HCPs’ proficiency in evidence-based guidelines for care of newborns, infants, and children. PACE is novel in 2 ways: 1) its patient-centric approach using clinical audit data or frontline provider input to determine content and 2) its ability to incorporate refresher learning over time to solidify knowledge gains. We describe PACE's integration into the Pediatric Association of Tanzania's (PAT) Clinical Learning Network (CLN), a multifaceted intervention to improve facility-based care along a single referral chain. Using principles of co-design, stakeholder meetings modified PACE's characteristics and optimized integration with CLN. We plan to use three-phase, mixed-methods, implementation process. Phase I will examine the feasibility of PACE and refine its components and protocol. Lessons gained from this initial phase will guide the design of Phase II proof of concept studies which will generate insights into the appropriate empirical framework for (Phase III) implementation at scale to examine effectiveness

Developmental and Nutritional Changes in Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition Provided with <i>n</i>-3 Fatty Acids Improved Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food and Psychosocial Support: A Pilot Study in Tanzania

Children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are at high risk of impaired development. Contributing causes include the inadequate intake of specific nutrients such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and a lack of adequate stimulation. We conducted a pilot study assessing developmental and nutritional changes in children with SAM provided with a modified ready-to-use therapeutic food and context-specific psychosocial intervention in Mwanza, Tanzania. We recruited 82 children with SAM (6–36 months) and 88 sex- and age-matched non-malnourished children. We measured child development, using the Malawi Development Assessment Tool (MDAT), measures of family and maternal care for children, and whole-blood PUFA levels. At baseline, the mean total MDAT z-score of children with SAM was lower than non-malnourished children; −2.37 (95% confidence interval: −2.92; −1.82), as were their total n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels. After 8 weeks of intervention, MDAT z-scores improved in all domains, especially fine motor, among children with SAM. Total n-3 and EPA levels increased, total n-6 fatty acids decreased, and DHA remained unchanged. Family and maternal care also improved. The suggested benefits of the combined interventions on the developmental and nutritional status of children with SAM will be tested in a future trial

Developmental and Nutritional Changes in Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition Provided with <i>n</i>-3 Fatty Acids Improved Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food and Psychosocial Support: A Pilot Study in Tanzania.

Children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) are at high risk of impaired development. Contributing causes include the inadequate intake of specific nutrients such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and a lack of adequate stimulation. We conducted a pilot study assessing developmental and nutritional changes in children with SAM provided with a modified ready-to-use therapeutic food and context-specific psychosocial intervention in Mwanza, Tanzania. We recruited 82 children with SAM (6-36 months) and 88 sex- and age-matched non-malnourished children. We measured child development, using the Malawi Development Assessment Tool (MDAT), measures of family and maternal care for children, and whole-blood PUFA levels. At baseline, the mean total MDAT z-score of children with SAM was lower than non-malnourished children; -2.37 (95% confidence interval: -2.92; -1.82), as were their total n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels. After 8 weeks of intervention, MDAT z-scores improved in all domains, especially fine motor, among children with SAM. Total n-3 and EPA levels increased, total n-6 fatty acids decreased, and DHA remained unchanged. Family and maternal care also improved. The suggested benefits of the combined interventions on the developmental and nutritional status of children with SAM will be tested in a future trial