An instrument for the assessment of diarrhoeal severity based on a longitudinal community-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Diarrhoea is a significant contributer to morbidity and is among the leading causes of death of children living in poverty. As such, the incidence, duration and severity of diarrhoeal episodes in the household are often key variables of interest in a variety of community-based studies. However, there currently exists no means of defining diarrhoeal severity that are (A) specifically designed and adapted for community-based studies, (B) associated with poorer child outcomes and (C) agreed on by the majority of researchers. Clinical severity scores do exist and are used in healthcare settings, but these tend to focus on relatively moderate-to-severe dehydrating and dysenteric disease, require trained observation of the child and, given the variability of access and utilisat

SUBMITTER: Lee G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4054634 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature