Evaluation of simple laboratory investigations to predict fatal outcome in infants with severe malnutrition presenting in an urban diarrhoea treatment centre in Bangladesh

OBJECTIVE To evaluate rapid and simple laboratory investigations to predict fatal outcome in infants presenting with diarrhoea and severe malnutrition. METHOD Retrospective chart analysis of infants with severe malnutrition and diarrhoea with (cases) and without fatal outcome (controls) admitted to the Special Care Ward in Dhaka Hospital at ICDDR, B between May 2005 and April 2006. All infants (n = 61) who underwent bedside blood glucose, full peripheral blood count, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum electrolyte tests were included. RESULTS In logistic regression analyses, after adjusting for all available potential confounders (abnormal WBC count, higher CRP level, hyponatraemia, hypokalaemia, hypocalcaemia, and hypomagnesaemia), cases (n = 10) were significantly associated only with hypoglycaemia (measured using a portable bedside finger blood glucose test) (odds ratio 5.0, CI 1.1-23.0, P = 0.039) on admission. CONCLUSION A simple rapid bedside glucose test may be used to predict the outcome of diarrhoeal infants presenting with severe malnutrition.