The Causes of Death in below Five Years Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) at the University Teaching Children’s Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

This study was aimed at finding the leading causes of death in these malnourished patients as mortality of children under five years of age with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in-patient set-ups in the sub-Saharan Africa still remains high. This was conducted on the inpatients with severe acute malnutrition. Both the complicated and uncomplicated ones were assessed without any exception and there was no exclusion. The patients aged 0 to 59 months were under study from the Malnutrition ward A07 at the University Teaching Children’s Hospital which occupies about 59 bed spaces. Data was collected from a sample of 50 respondents and was analyzed to produce results in relation to the objectives of the study. The tools used in the collection of data were questionnaires and observations. The SPSS was used for the analysis of the data in order to obtain the necessary information for the study and present the findings.