Time to Recovery and Its Predictors among Children 6-59 Months Admitted with Severe Acute Malnutrition to East Amhara Hospitals, Northeast Ethiopia: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study

Predictors of recovery from severe acute malnutrition among 6-59 months children admitted to a hospital

Background and aim

Severe acute malnutrition is a threat to child survival as mortality rates in children with severe malnutrition are nine times higher. Globally, about 19 million children are severely malnourished. This study looked at children aged 6-59 months admitted to hospital to see how quickly they recovered from severe acute malnutrition as well as what factors predicted their recovery.

Methods

The study included 543 systematically chosen children with severe acute malnutrition who were admitted to the stabilization center of a hospital. Data from the patient registry were gathered using a retrospective follow-up study design. In order to find predictors of recovery, the Cox proportional hazard model was applied.

Results

From 543 children, 425 (78.27%) were recovered. The median survival time was 8 days. Having grade II edema, grade III edema, and pneumonia were negatively associated with recovery. Similarly, taking ceftriaxone, cloxacillin, and being on a nasogastric tube were associated with poor recovery. Conversely, better recovery rates were linked to exclusive breastfeeding and vitamin A supplementation.

Conclusion

Both the recovery rate and the median survival time fell within acceptable bounds. To boost the recovery rate, efforts are needed to lessen comorbidities.

Stabilizing time and its predictors among 1-59 months old children managed for severe acute malnutrition during the humanitarian crisis in Tigray regional state of Ethiopia, 2023: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Higher rate of acute malnutrition is observed in emergencies compared to non-emergency settings and severe acute malnutrition upsurges alarmingly and become deadly in humanitarian crises due to lack of food, lack of quality water supply and insufficient healthcare. Research is one learning tool by identifying strength and areas of improvement. However, little is known about outcomes of therapeutic feeding programmes in comparison with the standard indicators set in humanitarian setting.

METHODS

Health facility based prospective cohort study was conducted using routinely collected programme data of children hospitalized to the inpatient therapeutic feeding center in suhul general hospital from January 1st, 2023 to June 30, 2023. Data was collected using a form developed relating to the federal ministry of health standard management protocols for severe acute malnutrition then it was cleaned, coded and entered to EpiData version 4.2.0 and then exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis.

RESULTS

From 184 children, 96.2% were stabilized while the remaining 3.8% were censored with overall median stabilizing time of 8 days. Weight gain was used as one of the discharging criteria for infants less than six months and their mean weight gain found to be 12.89 g per kilogram daily. Appetite test (AHR = 0.338; 95% CI: 0.221-0.518), blood transfusion (AHR = 5.825; 95% CI: 2.568-13.211), IV fluid resuscitation (AHR = 2.017; 95% CI: 1.094-3.717), IV antibiotics (AHR = 2.288; 95% CI: 1.164-4.500) and NG tube feeding (AHR = 1.485; 95% CI: 1.065-2.071) were identified as significant predictors of stabilizing time.

CONCLUSION

All the outcome indicators for stabilization center are consistent with the SPHERE association set of standards during humanitarian intervention. The hospital and other concerned humanitarian organizations should focus on sustaining these achievements as suhul hospital is the main treatment center for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in the northwest zone of Tigray regional state. Further pre-post experimental studies which compare the stabilizing time before and after crisis are recommended.

Effect of ready-to-use therapeutic foods on time to recovery among children with severe acute malnutrition in Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The therapeutic feeding unit (TFU) provides comprehensive inpatient clinical care for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in three stages: stabilization, transition, and rehabilitation. During the transitional and rehabilitation phases, children receive either F-100 or ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). Although both promote weight gain, RUTF is more energy dense than F-100. There is limited and contrasting evidence regarding their effect on recovery time. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect of RUTF on time to recovery among SAM children aged 6-59 months admitted to the TFU in Ethiopia.

METHODS

Health Facility-based prospective cohort study was conducted among 476 children treated in three hospitals and four health centers in the Sidama region from September 2021 to January 2022. A structured questionnaire adopted from the Ethiopian national protocol for the management of SAM was used for data collection. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. The Kaplan-Meir curve and log-rank test were used to compare time to recovery between children who received RUTF and F-100. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis was conducted to assess the association between time to recovery and the type of therapeutic food, controlling for the confounding variables.

RESULTS

The median recovery time was significantly shorter in children receiving RUTF (7 days; 95% CI: 6.62-7.38) compared to F-100 (10 days; 95% CI: 8.94-11.06). Children below 24 months (AHR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.42-0.69), dehydrated (AHR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.07-1.75), edematous malnutrition (AHR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.03-1.61), and anemic (AHR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.90-3.48) during admission were associated with time to recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

Children who received RUTF recovered faster than children who received F-100. Administering RUTF to children below 24 months, who present with anemia and dehydration can improve their recovery rate and shorten their stay in the health facility.

Achievement of adequate weight gain among infants and children with complicated severe acute malnutrition receiving treatment in therapeutic feeding centers of South Sudanese refugee camps in Ethiopia

Objectives

This study aimed to assess achievement of adequate weight gain and identify its associated factors among infants and children with complicated severe acute malnutrition admitted in Kule and Tierkidi refugee camps in Gambella, Southwest Ethiopia.

Methods

Records of 332 infants and children with complicated severe acute malnutrition were selected by systematic random sampling. Weight gain was calculated for all participants. Patients who achieved weight gain of >5 g/kg/day were regarded as achieving adequate weight gain. Sociodemographic characteristics, season of admission, patients' anthropometry at admission, source of admission, clinical conditions at admission, types of medications used, length of stay at the centers, and the centers of the treatment were considered as covariates. The adjusted odds ratio and its 95% confidence interval were used to identify factors associated with adequate average weight gain in the multivariable logistic regression.

Results

In total, 72% of the treated patients achieved adequate weight gain. Treatment at Tierkidi center Adjusted Odds Ratio = 5.9, 95% Confidence Interval: (2.0,16.9), treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanate Adjusted Odds Ratio = 4.1, 95% Confidence Interval: (1.7, 10.0), WFH z-score < -3 Adjusted Odds Ratio = 4.1, 95% Confidence Interval: (1.9, 9.0) and length of stay of ⩽7 days Adjusted Odds Ratio = 2.5, 95% Confidence Interval: (1.4, 4.4) were significantly associated with achievement of adequate weight gain.

Conclusion

Seven in ten of treated patients achieved adequate weight gain. However, significant proportion of patients still failed to achieve recommended weight gain in refugee camps. Anthropometric indices, type of antibiotics used for treatment, short length of stay, and the treatment center were associated with achievement of adequate weight gain. We recommend that the local antibiotic sensitivity pattern be studied in order to recommend an appropriate treatment regimen for infants and children. Children requiring longer duration have to be given due focus. Inter-center variations have to be narrowed by strengthening follow-up and supervisory supports.

Severe acute malnutrition’s recovery rate still below the minimum standard: predictors of time to recovery among 6- to 59-month-old children in the healthcare setting of Southwest Ethiopia

Background

Despite currently available, scientifically proven treatments and national guideline, the SAM recovery rate is still considerably behind expectations, and it continues to have a devastating impact on under-five children. Identifying predictors of time to recovery might help to reach the minimal criterion established by the WHO and the national Sphere which decreases child mortality. Therefore, the current study assessed time to recovery and its predictors among children aged 6–59 months admitted with SAM in the Healthcare Setting of Southwest Ethiopia, 2021.

Methods

An institutional-based multicenter retrospective follow-up study was conducted on 486 children aged 6 to 59 months admitted with SAM cases. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and exported to Stata version 14 for further analysis. Cox–Snell residual plot was used to assess the final model’s overall goodness of fit. Finally, a significant predictor of time to recovery was identified using Weibull survival regression model, at 0.05 significance level.

Result

Overall, 68.72 (95% CI 64.8, 73) of the children recovered and 4.32% died. The overall incidence density was 3.35/100-person day. Independent predictors of time to recovery were, starting complementary feeding at six months (AHR = 1.44; 95%, CI 1.073, 1.935), pneumonia at baseline (AHR = 1.33, 95%, CI 1.049, 1.696), amoxicillin (AHR = 1.31, 95%, CI 1.021, 1.685), and folic acid supplementation (AHR = 1.82, 95% CI 1,237, 2.665).

Conclusion

The recovery from SAM at study area after a maximum of 60 days of treatment was below the accepted minimum standard. Complementary feeding, pneumonia, treated by amoxicillin, and folic acid supplementation were predictors of time to recovery. Therefore, providing folic acid and amoxicillin for those in need as well as the earliest possible treatment of concomitant conditions like pneumonia is highly recommended.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41043-022-00331-9.