Clinical Study

Abnormal Blood Glucose as a Prognostic Factor for Adverse Clinical Outcome in Children Admitted to the Paediatric Emergency Unit at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana

Table 3

Categories of diagnosis in children presenting with acute medical conditions at PEU ( = 430).

DiagnosisFrequency ()Percent (%)

Severe malaria16238
Severe malaria with acute disease225
Assumed severe malaria5012
Septicaemia409
Enteric fever143
Meningitis164
Diarrhea and vomiting4611
Acute respiratory disease4611
Sickle cell disease with acute disease286
Others61

Malaria with acute disease: malaria with one of the following: septicaemia, enteric fever, meningitis, or pneumonia.
Acute respiratory disease: acute asthma attack, pneumonia, or bronchiolitis.
Assumed severe malaria: patient with acute illness treated as severe malaria but not malaria parasites on blood film and negative blood, urine, and/or cerebrospinal fluid cultures. These patients improved on an antimalaria treatment.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) with acute disease: SCD with one of the following, severe malaria, severe anaemia, acute haemolysis, acute chest syndrome, septicaemia, and vasooclusive crisis.
Others: urinary tract infection, tonsillitis, and otitis media.