Monitoring and discharging children being treated for severe acute malnutrition using mid-upper arm circumference: secondary data analysis from rural Gambia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a major public health problem. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) is widely used to admit children to treatment programmes. However, insufficient data supporting MUAC discharge criterion limits its use as a stand-alone tool. Our aim was to evaluate MUAC for monitoring nutritional recovery and discharge.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of clinical data from children 6-59 months-old treated for SAM from January 2003 to December 2013 at the Nutritional Rehabilitation Unit in rural Gambia. Weight, weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) and MUAC response to treatment were assessed. Treatment indicators and regression models controlled for admission measurement and age were compared by discharge MUAC and WHZ.

Results

Four hundred

SUBMITTER: Burrell A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5881269 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature