Infections and antibiotic resistance in Malawian children under five years old hospitalized with severe acute malnutrition.

This prospective cohort study from Malawi updates our understanding of the burden of bacterial infections and drug resistance in children <5 years hospitalized with severe acute malnutrition. Urinary tract infection was diagnosed in 20% and bacteremia in 10%. Resistance to first and second-line antibiotics occurred in >1/3 of bacteria isolated.

Tuberculosis in children with severe acute malnutrition.

Introduction: With growing attention globally to the childhood tuberculosis epidemic after decades of neglect, and with the burden of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) remaining unacceptably high worldwide, the collision of these two diseases is an important focus for improving child health.

Areas Covered: This review describes the clinical and public health implications of the interplay between tuberculosis and SAM, particularly for children under the age of five, and identifies priority areas for improved programmatic implementation and future research. We reviewed the literature on PubMed and other evidence known to the authors published until August 2021 relevant to this topic.

Improving recognition and management of children with complicated severe acute malnutrition at a tertiary referral hospital in Malawi: a quality improvement initiative.

Background: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is common in low-income countries and is associated with high mortality in young children.

Objective: To improve recognition and management of SAM in a tertiary hospital in Malawi.

Methods: The impact of multifaceted quality improvement interventions in process measures pertaining to the identification and management of SAM was assessed.

Risk factors for mortality and management of children with complicated severe acute malnutrition at a tertiary referral hospital in Malawi.

Background: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a major cause of childhood mortality in resource-limited settings. The relationship between clinical factors and adherence to the 'WHO 10 Steps' and mortality in children with SAM is not fully understood.

Methods: Data from an ongoing prospective observational cohort study assessing admission characteristics, management patterns and clinical outcome in children aged 6-36 months admitted to a tertiary hospital in Malawi from September 2018 to September 2019 were analysed.