External Validation of Pediatric Pneumonia and Bronchiolitis Risk Scores to Predict Mortality in Children Hospitalized in Kenya: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRIs) are a leading cause of pediatric mortality in low- and middle-income countries. In recent years, substantial research has been done to enhance risk stratification of children presenting with ALRIs, in a bid to improve health outcomes in resource-limited settings. We sought to analyze the performance of several pediatric ALRI risk scores in the prediction of mortality among children hospitalized with ALRIs in Kenya.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the data of 2182 children aged 2-24 months who were admitted to Kilifi County Referral Hospital, Kenya with severe ALRIs between January 2015 and December 2024. We evaluated the performance of 6 ALRI risk scores (RISC [HIV-negative], mRISC, RISC-Malawi, PERCH, PREPARE,

SUBMITTER: Gordon B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12811851 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature