Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39623419›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2024

Childhood mortality due to pneumonia; evidence from a tertiary paediatric referral center in Sri Lanka.

Sanath Thushara Kudagammana, Sujani Premathilaka, Gihani Vidanapathirana, Wasana Kudagammana

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Sanath Thushara KudagammanaDepartment of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. sanathusara@yahoo.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5813-5907
Sujani PremathilakaDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-9840-6579
Gihani VidanapathiranaDepartment of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2808-6198
Wasana KudagammanaDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4906-0998

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPneumonia is a major cause responsible for mortality and morbidity among children around the world. The present study aimed to determine the age distribution, and contributing risk factors for mortality among children who died from pneumonia.

methodThis study was a cross-sectional study conducted at Teaching Hospital Peradeniya and Sirimavo Bandaranaike Specialized Children's Hospital (SBSCH) which is one of the two specialised children's hospitals in the country. Demographic details, clinical details, laboratory and radiological findings of the children who died due to pneumonia from 2017 to 2022 were collected from record rooms of the two hospitals. The targeted study cohort consists of children between 0 and 14 years of age who died with an established diagnosis of pneumonia. Data was analysed using SPSS version 24. Percentages were calculated to determine the demographic details. The association between different risk factors with childhood pneumonia deaths was calculated.

resultsFifty-six (56) children in the age category of 0-14 years who died due to an established diagnosis of pneumonia from 2017 to 2022 were included in this study. Fourteen (25%) of them died in the acute medical ward and the remainder in the ICU. From the total study cohort, 51.8% (29) were males and 48.2% (27) were females. The highest number of children (39.3%) was in the age category of 3-12 months. Forty-two children, 75% of the study cohort were children younger than 1 year. Among 56 total, 41 children (73.2%) were identified as underweight for age according to the WHO weight for age charts and 14 (25%) children had not completed the immunisation to the age according to the National Programme of Immunisation (NPI) of Sri Lanka. In the present study cohort, 51.8% (29) of children were diagnosed with CHD and 28.6% (16) of the study cohort had a past medical history of LRTI. Number of patients with underlying respiratory diseases and cerebral palsy were 6 (10.7%) and 5 (8.9%) respectively. There was a significant correlation between the death of children due to pneumonia and the younger age (p = 0.004), duration of the hospital stay (P = 0.011), cerebral palsy (p = 0.004) and history of LRTI (p = 0.001).

conclusionYounger age of less than one year, cerebral palsy and a history of lower respiratory tract infections were significantly associated with children dying due to pneumonia. Nearly half of the children who died from pneumonia had a congenital heart disease although it is not statistically significant. A substantial number of deaths occurring in general wards needs further evaluation.

Indexed as

PneumoniaTertiary Care CentersAdolescentAge DistributionChildChild MortalityChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHospitals, PediatricHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleRisk FactorsSri LankaChildhoodMortalityPneumoniaTertiary Care

Identifiers

PMID39623419
PMCPMC11610174

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.