Clinical epidemiology of paediatric disease at Nchelenge, north-east Zambia

Abstract

In a combined retrospective and prospective 4-year study of 6412 children consecutively admitted to St Paul's Hospital, Nchelenge, north-east Zambia, the clinical epidemiology of paediatric disease was described. One diagnosis per admission was noted. Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) was diagnosed clinically and by means of a modified Wellcome scheme using weight-for-height and Z scores. Correlation coefficients were calculated between monthly admission rates and relative humidity, rainfall and temperature. The age distribution of admitted children showed several distinct groups. Type I (malaria, acute gastro-enteritis, pneumonia and meningitis) had its peak in the 1st 7 months of age, type II (burn wounds and measles) had its main prevalence between the ages of 2 and 4 years, and type III (trauma, typhoid fever, snake bite and tropical ulcer) occurred mainly between 4 and 14 years of age. Admission rates for PEM, PEM subtypes, pneumonia, trauma and snake bite correlated with wet season variables. Malaria and acute gastro-enteritis were extremely common throughout the year. A measles epidemic in the dry season was initially followed by an increase in marasmus, whereas oedematous malnutrition only assumed epidemic proportions associated with a post-measles rise in admission rates of pneumonia. Clinical epidemiological data at the district level is a powerful tool for understanding the pattern of serious paediatric disease in the community.

Pattern and Epidemiology of Poisoning in the East African Region: A Literature Review

“…In this case series, 2 patients died, making the case fatality rate 14%. In a combined retrospective and prospective 4-year study of 6412 children consecutively admitted to St. Paul's Hospital, Nchelenge, northeast Zambia, Gernaat and colleagues [77] found that snakebite was a significant cause of injury in 4–14-year-olds.…”

Typhoid fever in children: some epidemiological considerations from Karachi, Pakistan

“…The impact of climatic factors is substantial and prophylactic measures for the summer months are advocated. 8,9 There are however considerable regional differences in seasonality. There is no clear relationship with rainfall in Vietnam in contrast to a temporal relationship with rainfall patterns in Karachi, with cases peaking after the monsoon rains (Mr Abdul Qayoom, Computerized Data Processing Center, Meteorology Department, Government of Pakistan, Karachi, Personal Communication).…”

Understanding Weather and Hospital Admissions Patterns to Inform Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in the Healthcare Sector in Uganda

“…In the context of climate change adaptation [ 4 ], these geo-spatial variances matter, as effective climate change adaptation often requires localized and context-specific actions [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. For this reason, it is important to document and understand localized associations between meteorological parameters and hospital admissions as a potential way to inform planning and preparedness measures that can support climate change adaptation in the healthcare sector [ 3 , 4 , 9 , 10 ].…”

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