Validation of community health workers' assessment of neonatal illness in rural Bangladesh.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To estimate the validity (sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values) of a clinical algorithm as used by community health workers (CHWs) to detect and classify neonatal illness during routine household visits in rural Bangladesh.

Methods

CHWs evaluated breastfeeding and symptoms and signs of illness in 395 neonates selected randomly from neonatal illness surveillance during household visits on postnatal days 0, 2, 5 and 8. Neonates classified with very severe disease (VSD) were referred to a community-based hospital. Within 12 hours of CHW assessments, physicians independently evaluated all neonates seen in a given day by one CHW, randomly chosen from among 36 project CHWs. Physicians recorded symptoms and signs of illness, classified the

SUBMITTER: Darmstadt GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2649592 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature