An audit of Pediatrics Inpatients in General Pediatrics Department of Tertiary Care Children’s Hospital

Prakash Joshi; Bishnu Rath Giri; Najala Khatun; Bina Prajapati; Subhana Thapa Karki

Prakash Joshi Department of Pediatric Medicine, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Bishnu Rath Giri Department of Pediatric Medicine, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
Najala Khatun Department of Pediatric Medicine, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Bina Prajapati Department of Pediatric Medicine, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Subhana Thapa Karki Department of Pediatric Medicine, Kanti Children’s Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Abstract

Introduction: In Nepal currently there are very few reports about disease spectrum in pediatric inpatients. This study was conducted to determine the pattern of morbidity among pediatric inpatients aiming that the result thus obtained will help in proposing strategies for future healthcare planning and resource allocation.

Methods: This was a descriptive cross sectional study conducted at Kanti Children’s Hospital from January 2017 to December 2017, after taking ethical approval from Institutional Review Committee (Ref. no:14/075-076) of the hospital. Data on age, sex, diagnosis, date of admission and discharge was extracted from hospital record of 5,128 admitted children. Data were entered into MS Excel and analyzed using SPSS 16. The results were expressed as number, proportion and median.

Results: Out of 5,128 admitted patients 3,240 (63.18%) were male and 1,888 (36.81%) female. Children between 1 to 60 months were 3,225 (62.89%) of which infant constitute 1617 (50.13%). The leading causes of hospitalization were pneumonia, sepsis, enteric fever, bronchiolitis, congenital heart diseases and nephrotic syndrome constituting 898 (17.51%), 658 (12.83%), 274 (5.34%), 268 (5.22%), 227 (4.42%) and 221 (4.30%) of total admission respectively. System-wise, respiratory tract infection 1,308 (25.50%) was most common followed by ‘Other infectious diseases’ 1069 (20.85%), nephrology 607 (11.83%), gastro-intestinal tract 592 (11.54%), neurology 487 (9.49%), hematology 281 (5.47%) and cardiac system 278 (5.42%).

Conclusions: Majority of the children affected were under-five, residing outside the capital city. Respiratory infection and other infectious diseases were major cause of childhood morbidity. Programs like Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) needs to be strengthened, in resource poor country like ours.

Keywords: Inpatients; morbidity; neonate.