Predicting mortality in adults with suspected infection in a Rwandan hospital: an evaluation of the adapted MEWS, qSOFA and UVA scores.

Rationale: Mortality prediction scores are increasingly being evaluated in low and middle income countries (LMICs) for research comparisons, quality improvement and clinical decision-making. The modified early warning score (MEWS), quick Sequential (Sepsis-Related) Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA), and Universal Vital Assessment (UVA) score use variables that are feasible to obtain, and have demonstrated potential to predict mortality in LMIC cohorts.

Objective: To determine the predictive capacity of adapted MEWS, qSOFA and UVA in a Rwandan hospital.

Widespread antimicrobial resistance among bacterial infections in a Rwandan referral hospital.

Background: Resistance among bacterial infections is increasingly well-documented in high-income countries; however, relatively little is known about bacterial antimicrobial resistance in low-income countries, where the burden of infections is high.

Methods: We prospectively screened all adult inpatients at a referral hospital in Rwanda for suspected infection for seven months. Blood, urine, wound and sputum samples were cultured and tested for antibiotic susceptibility.