TITLE:
Factors Associated with Intra-Hospital Mortality of Children from 0 to 59 Months in the City of Mwene-Ditu in DR Congo: A Retrospective Analytical Study
AUTHORS:
Theddy Kazadi Kabeya, Benoît Beya Tshisungu, Sylvie Okoto, Félicien Ilunga Tshibangu, Damien Ilunga Tshibangu, Evariste Kalombo Tshakuimba, Joseph Luboya Kabila
KEYWORDS:
Associated Factors, Intra-Hospital Mortality, Children Aged 0 to 59 Months, Mwene-Ditu
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.9 No.12,
December
30,
2022
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The mortality of children aged under 59 months remains a public health problem in the majority of low-income countries. Reducing this mortality must be included among the national priorities. The DR Congo (DRC) in general and the city of Mwene-Ditu, in particular, are not spared from this scourge. The objective of this study is to contribute to the reduction of infant mortality by researching the associated factors in order to propose preventive measures. Methods: A retrospective analytical study was conducted at the Christ Roi General Reference Hospital in the Makota Health District in Mwene-Ditu (DRC) covering a period of 12 months, from January 1 to December 31, 2021. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection based on the documentary review. The Odds Ratio (OR 95% CI) and the exact Fisher test were used to study the associations between the independent variable and the dependent ones. OR was significant when it was greater than 1 and its lower limit also and the p-value when it was less than 0.05. Results: At the end of this study, 216 cases were retained. It appears that children under 12 months accounted for 58.3% and 52% of male children. The intra-hospital mortality rate was estimated at 11.1%. Malaria (37.5%), dehydration (25%) and Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) (16.7%) topped the list of causes of death. The duration of hospitalization ≤ 3 days (OR = 20.26 [6.54 - 62.77], p = 0.00) and dehydration (OR = 11.00 [2.14 - 56.49], p = 0.00) were the factors associated with intra-hospital mortality of children aged 0 to 59 months admitted to the Christ-Roi General Reference Hospital. Conclusion: Early recourse to the hospital environment in the event of childhood illnesses and the correct care of children can boost the reduction of mortality in this age group.