Conference abstract
Risk factors for death in under five children treated for visceral leishmaniasis at an MSF supported treatment center in Gedaref state, Sudan
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2018:9(29).27
Aug 2018.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2018.9.29.756
Archived on: 27 Aug 2018
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Visceral leishmaniasis, children VL, VL mortality risk factors
Poster
Risk factors for death in under five children treated for visceral leishmaniasis at an MSF supported treatment center in Gedaref state, Sudan
Dagemlidet Tesfaye Worku1,&, Laetitia Christiaens2, Samoal Kamalaldin Abualgasim Abdlrahim1, Gabriel Alcoba3
1Médecins Sans Frontières, Operational Center, Geneva, Sudan Mission, Gedaref Kala Azar Project, Sudan, 2Médecins Sans Frontières, Operational Center, Geneva, Sudan Mission, Sudan, 3Médecins Sans Frontières, Operational Center, Geneva, Medical Department, Lausanne, Geneva
&Corresponding author
Dagemlidet Tesfaye Worku, Médecins Sans Frontières Operational Center, Geneva, Sudan Mission, Gedaref Kala Azar Project, Sudan
Introduction: visceral leishmaniasis (VL, kala-azar) is fatal if not treated. In East Africa VL often affects children. There are few studies on risk factors for death in children with VL in Sudan. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for death amongst children under 5 years of age treated at the OCG VL treatment center in Tabarak Allah, Gedaref State, Sudan.
Methods: a retrospective analysis of routinely collected data of 710 children under 5 years of age with VL that were admitted between January 2010 and July 2017 at an MSF supported VL treatment centre in Tabarak Allah was done using EPI Info and STATA statistical packages. Baseline variables were determined for risk factors and p value < 0.1 was used as cut off point for multivariate regression analysis. Identified risk factors were separately analysed to determine risk factors for death using Wald method, expressed with adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and p value < 0.05 is considered significant.
Results: a total of 708 children under 5 years of age were analysed of which 42% were females. 29 of the patients died. Age < 1 year, duration of illness > 1 month, history of diarrhoea and vomiting, floppiness or inability to walk, clinical jaundice and oedema, haemoglobin level < 8gm/dl, were baseline variables with risk of death. After multivariate analysis, age < 1 year, duration of illness > 1 month, haemoglobin level < 8gm/dl and clinical oedema remained significant risk factors increasing more than two-fold the risk of dying.
Conclusion: based on the results of this study, duration of illness and presence of oedema on top of age, anaemia and level of malnutrition are factors that should be included in a severity score to predict increased risk of death.
