Search

Background: Severe anaemia (haemoglobin < 6 g/dL) is a leading cause of recurrent hospitalisation in African children. We investigated predictors of readmission in children hospitalised with severe anaemia in the TRACT trial (ISRCTN84086586) in order to identify potential future interventions.\ud Methods: Secondary analyses of the trial examined 3894 children from Uganda and Malawi surviving a hospital episode of severe anaemia. Predictors of all-cause readmission within 180 days of discharge were identified using multivariable regression with death as a competing risk. Groups of children with similar characteristics were identified using hierarchical clustering.\ud Results: Of the 3894 survivors 682 (18%) were readmitted; 403 (10%) had ≥2 re-admissions over 180 days. Three main causes of readmission were identified: severe anaemia (n = 456), malaria (n = 252) and haemoglobinuria/dark urine syndrome (n = 165). Overall, factors increasing risk of readmission included HIV-infection (hazard ratio 2.48\ud (95% CI 1.63–3.78), p < 0.001); ≥2 hospital admissions in the preceding 12 months (1.44(1.19–1.74), p < 0.001); history of transfusion (1.48(1.13–1.93), p = 0.005); and missing ≥1 trial medication dose (proxy for care quality) (1.43 (1.21–1.69), p < 0.001). Children with uncomplicated severe anaemia (Hb 4-6 g/dL and no severity features),\ud who never received a transfusion (per trial protocol) during the initial admission had a substantially lower risk of readmission (0.67(0.47–0.96), p = 0.04). Malaria (among children with no prior history of transfusion) (0.60(0.47–0.76), p < 0.001); younger-age (1.07 (1.03–1.10) per 1 year younger, p < 0.001) and known sickle cell disease (0.62(0.46–0.82), p = 0.001) also decreased risk of readmission. For anaemia re-admissions, gross splenomegaly and enlarged spleen increased risk by 1.73(1.23–2.44) and 1.46(1.18–1.82) respectively compared to no splenomegaly.\ud Clustering identified four groups of children with readmission rates from 14 to 20%. The cluster with the highest readmission rate was characterised by very low haemoglobin (mean 3.6 g/dL). Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) predominated in two clusters associated with chronic repeated admissions or severe, acute presentations in largely undiagnosed SCD. The final cluster had high rates of malaria (78%), severity signs and very low platelet count, consistent with acute severe\ud malaria.\ud Conclusions: Younger age, HIV infection and history of previous hospital admissions predicted increased risk of readmission. However, no obvious clinical factors for intervention were identified. As missing medication doses was highly predictive, attention to care related factors may be important.\ud Trial registration: ISRCTN ISRCTN84086586.\ud Keywords: Severe anaemia, Readmission

Additional file 1: Supplementary Table 1. Univariable summary statistics of all factors considered. Supplementary Table 2. Risk score calculation. Supplementary Table 3. Description of clusters.

Background: The World Health Organization recommends a haemoglobin transfusion threshold of 0.2) nor evidence of differences between groups in re-admissions (p=0.36), serious adverse events (p=0.36) nor in haemoglobin recovery at 180-days (p=0.08). Length-of-stay was mean 0.9 days longer in the triggered group. Conclusions: There was no evidence of differences in clinical outcomes over 6 months with triggered vs immediate transfusion. Triggered transfusion reduced blood-volume requirements by 60% but increased length-of-stay by 20% and required repeated haemoglobin monitoring and surveillance.

Background: Severe anaemia (haemoglobin37.5C) at screening. 30mls/kg reduced mortality in the 1943(61%) children without fever (28-day HR=0.43 (0.27,0.69) p=0.001), but increased mortality in the 1253(39%) children with fever (HR=1.91 (1.04,3.49) p=0.04). There was no evidence of differences between groups in re-admissions (p=0.38), serious adverse events (p=0.58) nor in haemoglobin recovery at 180-days (p=0.10). Conclusions: Mortality could be reduced by transfusing 30mls/kg whole blood equivalent in children presenting with severe anaemia without fever.

Additional file 1. Description of flexible parametric models and description of simulations to investigate analysis methods. Table S1. Difference in mortality risk (bolus-control) over time from randomisation. Table S2. Causes of death in 39 children dying within the first hour of randomisation. Figure S1. All-cause mortality risk over 28 days of follow up (main graph) and over the first 48 hours (inset graph) from randomization (all randomised groups combined). Figure S2. Mortality risk and death times in the first 12 hours post-randomisation by bolus fluid type compared to no bolus. Figure S3. All-cause mortality risk including children dying before randomisation. Figure S4. Mortality risk over the first 12 hours from 20 simulated datasets (modelling hazard over time).

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition remains highly prevalent in African children, highlighting the need for accurately assessing dietary intake. In order to do so, the assessment method must be validated in the target population. A triple pass 24 h dietary recall with volumetric portion size estimation has been described but not previously validated in African children. This study aimed to establish the relative validity of 24-h dietary recalls of daily food consumption in healthy African children living in Mbale and Soroti, eastern Uganda compared to simultaneous weighed food records. METHODS: Quantitative assessment of daily food consumption by weighed food records followed by two independent assessments using triple pass 24-h dietary recall on the following day. In conjunction with household measures and standard food sizes, volumes of liquid, dry rice, or play dough were used to aid portion size estimation. Inter-assessor agreement, and agreement with weighed food records was conducted primarily by Bland-Altman analysis and secondly by intraclass correlation coefficients and quartile cross-classification. RESULTS: Nineteen healthy children aged 6 months to 12 years were included in the study. Bland-Altman analysis showed 24-h recall only marginally under-estimated energy (mean difference of 149 kJ or 2.8 %; limits of agreement −1618 to 1321 kJ), protein (2.9 g or 9.4 %; −12.6 to 6.7 g), and iron (0.43 mg or 8.3 %; −3.1 to 2.3 mg). Quartile cross-classification was correct in 79 % of cases for energy intake, and 89 % for both protein and iron. The intraclass correlation coefficient between the separate dietary recalls for energy was 0.801 (95 % CI, 0.429–0.933), indicating acceptable inter-observer agreement. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary assessment using 24-h dietary recall with volumetric portion size estimation resulted in similar and acceptable estimates of dietary intake compared with weighed food records and thus is considered a valid method for daily dietary intake assessment of children in communities with similar diets. The method will be utilised in a sub-study of a large randomised controlled trial addressing treatment in severe childhood anaemia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was approved by the Mbale Research Ethics committee (Reference: 2013–050). Transfusion and Treatment of severe Anaemia in African Children: a randomized controlled Trial (TRACT) registration: ISRCTN84086586.

Background\ud In sub-Saharan Africa, where infectious diseases and nutritional deficiencies are common, severe anaemia is a common cause of paediatric hospital admission, yet the evidence to support current treatment recommendations is limited. To avert overuse of blood products, the World Health Organisation advocates a conservative transfusion policy and recommends iron, folate and anti-helminthics at discharge. Outcomes are unsatisfactory with high rates of in-hospital mortality (9–10 %), 6-month mortality and relapse (6 %). A definitive trial to establish best transfusion and treatment strategies to prevent both early and delayed mortality and relapse is warranted.\ud \ud Methods/Design\ud TRACT is a multicentre randomised controlled trial of 3954 children aged 2 months to 12 years admitted to hospital with severe anaemia (haemoglobin

Background Mortality in paediatric emergency care units in Africa often occurs within the first 24 h of admission and remains high. Alongside effective triage systems, a practical clinical bedside risk score to identify those at greatest risk could contribute to reducing mortality. Methods Data collected during the Fluid As Expansive Supportive Therapy (FEAST) trial, a multi-centre trial involving 3,170 severely ill African children, were analysed to identify clinical and laboratory prognostic factors for mortality. Multivariable Cox regression was used to build a model in this derivation dataset based on clinical parameters that could be quickly and easily assessed at the bedside. A score developed from the model coefficients was externally validated in two admissions datasets from Kilifi District Hospital, Kenya, and compared to published risk scores using Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve (AUROC) and Hosmer-Lemeshow tests. The Net Reclassification Index (NRI) was used to identify additional laboratory prognostic factors. Results A risk score using 8 clinical variables (temperature, heart rate, capillary refill time, conscious level, severe pallor, respiratory distress, lung crepitations, and weak pulse volume) was developed. The score ranged from 0–10 and had an AUROC of 0.82 (95 % CI, 0.77–0.87) in the FEAST trial derivation set. In the independent validation datasets, the score had an AUROC of 0.77 (95 % CI, 0.72–0.82) amongst admissions to a paediatric high dependency ward and 0.86 (95 % CI, 0.82–0.89) amongst general paediatric admissions. This discriminative ability was similar to, or better than other risk scores in the validation datasets. NRI identified lactate, blood urea nitrogen, and pH to be important prognostic laboratory variables that could add information to the clinical score. Conclusions Eight clinical prognostic factors that could be rapidly assessed by healthcare staff for triage were combined to create the FEAST Paediatric Emergency Triage (PET) score and externally validated. The score discriminated those at highest risk of fatal outcome at the point of hospital admission and compared well to other published risk scores. Further laboratory tests were also identified as prognostic factors which could be added if resources were available or as indices of severity for comparison between centres in future research studies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12916-015-0407-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Summary: The phase III Transfusion and Treatment of severe anaemia in African Children Trial (TRACT) found that conservative management of uncomplicated severe anaemia [haemoglobin (Hb) 40–60 g/l] was safe, and that transfusion volume (20 vs. 30 ml/kg whole blood equivalent) for children with severe anaemia (Hb 37·5°C). In 2020 a stakeholder meeting of paediatric and blood transfusion groups from Africa reviewed the results and additional analyses. Among all 3196 children receiving an initial transfusion there was no evidence that nutritional status, presence of shock, malaria parasite burden or sickle cell disease status influenced outcomes or modified the interaction with fever status on volume required. Fever status at the time of ordering blood was a reliable determinant of volume required for optimal outcome. Elevated heart and respiratory rates normalised irrespective of transfusion volume and without diuretics. By consensus, a transfusion management algorithm was developed, incorporating three additional measurements of Hb post‐admission, alongside clinical monitoring. The proposed algorithm should help clinicians safely implement findings from TRACT. Further research should assess its implementation in routine clinical practice.