Analysis of Pediatric Admissions at Tefera Hailu Hospital, Sekota, Amhara Region

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To document the pattern of disease and outcome of pediatric admissions.
DESIGN: a retrospective record review of the series of cases admilled at Teffera Hailu Hospital, Wag Hemera Zone North western Ethiopia was done from July 2001 io December 2004.
SETTING: Medical pediatric lVard, Teffera Hailu rural Hospital North lVest Ethiopia.
SUBJECTS: All admissions in the pediatric wardfrom July 2001 to December 2004 were included in the study.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Socia-demographic features, nutritional slallls, clinical diagnoses, duration of hospital stay and mortality.
RESULTS: 1512 children were admitted during the study period. The sex ratio was I: 1.2; the majorities (5/.8%) of the patients were one year and below, the avel:age age was 39.2 months, the percentage of children coming from the Sekota health area was 72%. The predominant causes of admission were malnutrilion and infections diseases, essentially respiratory, malaria and digestive. There were 109 (7.9 %) deaths. Forly three percent of them died within 72 hours of admission. Severe protein energy malnutrition, pneumonia dysentery and complicated malaria were the main causes of death. Most of the therapeutic decisions were made based on symptomatology and evolution of the disease.
Conclusion: The laboratory tests contributed very little (a therapelific decisions, which were based more on symptomatology and evolution of the disease. Strictly, following the WHO guideline on the management of Malnutrition has brought a reduction in mortality at Teffera Hai/it hospital in Sekota. Therefore standardization of case management especially nutritional management is an important and essential step towards reduction of mortality althe primOly health institutions.