Prevalence and outcome of HIV infected children admitted in a tertiary hospital in Northern Tanzania

Pediatric post-discharge mortality in resource-poor countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Under-five mortality remains concentrated in resource-poor countries. Post-discharge mortality is becoming increasingly recognized as a significant contributor to overall child mortality. With a substantial recent expansion of research and novel data synthesis methods, this study aims to update the current evidence base by providing a more nuanced understanding of the burden and associated risk factors of pediatric post-discharge mortality after acute illness.

Methods

Eligible studies published between January 1, 2017 and January 31, 2023, were retrieved using MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL databases. Studies published before 2017 were identified in a previous review and added to the total pool of studies. Only studies from countries with low or low-middle Socio-Demographic Index with a post-discharge observation period greater than seven days were included. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified version of the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies. Studies were grouped by patient population, and 6-month post-discharge mortality rates were quantified by random-effects meta-analysis. Secondary outcomes included post-discharge mortality relative to in-hospital mortality, pooled risk factor estimates, and pooled post-discharge Kaplan-Meier survival curves. PROSPERO study registration: #CRD42022350975.

Findings

Of 1963 articles screened, 42 eligible articles were identified and combined with 22 articles identified in the previous review, resulting in 64 total articles. These articles represented 46 unique patient cohorts and included a total of 105,560 children. For children admitted with a general acute illness, the pooled risk of mortality six months post-discharge was 4.4% (95% CI: 3.5%-5.4%, I2 = 94.2%, n = 11 studies, 34,457 children), and the pooled in-hospital mortality rate was 5.9% (95% CI: 4.2%-7.7%, I2 = 98.7%, n = 12 studies, 63,307 children). Among disease subgroups, severe malnutrition (12.2%, 95% CI: 6.2%-19.7%, I2 = 98.2%, n = 10 studies, 7760 children) and severe anemia (6.4%, 95% CI: 4.2%-9.1%, I2 = 93.3%, n = 9 studies, 7806 children) demonstrated the highest 6-month post-discharge mortality estimates. Diarrhea demonstrated the shortest median time to death (3.3 weeks) and anemia the longest (8.9 weeks). Most significant risk factors for post-discharge mortality included unplanned discharges, severe malnutrition, and HIV seropositivity.

Interpretation

Pediatric post-discharge mortality rates remain high in resource-poor settings, especially among children admitted with malnutrition or anemia. Global health strategies must prioritize this health issue by dedicating resources to research and policy innovation.

Funding

No specific funding was received.

A scoping review on HIV early infant diagnosis among HIV exposed infants, ART use and adherence in Tanzania

BACKGROUND

HIV Early Infant Diagnosis (HEID) is critical for the timely initiation of HIV treatments and improved health outcomes among HIV-infected infants. However, the uptake of HEID remains largely low in Tanzania. This descriptive scoping review of evidence on HEID among HIV-exposed infants in Tanzania seeks to understand the dynamics of HEID, ART use and adherence to inform targeted interventions and promote its uptake.

METHODS

The Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework guided this scoping review. We searched for peer-published articles on HEID in Tanzania through PubMed and Google Scholar with full-text retrieval from HINAR. We included only English language articles published between 2013 and 2022. Further searches for the materials on the reference lists of the publications yielded additional relevant articles. We carried out an inductive thematic analysis to analyze and synthesize the data.

RESULTS

In all, nine articles met the inclusion criteria and, hence, qualified for the review. The variations in the uptake of HEID in the empirical literature reviewed indicate an upward trend. HEID increased from 77.2% in 2009 to 97.8% in 2011 in Kilimanjaro, Mbeya and Tanga and from 53.2% in 2014 to 69.2% in 2016 in Dar es Salaam. The median age at the initial test ranged from 5.6 weeks in Kilimanjaro to 8.6 weeks in Mbeya. The uptake of HEID was necessitated by individual, household and health facility factors. Unknown HIV status at conception, low level of education of the household head, and large household size negatively affected uptake of HEID. The health facility factors such as unavailability of the test kits, long distances to the facility and transport costs negatively influenced HEID uptake. The percentage of HIV-positive infants on ART ranged from 52.7 to 61%, and loss to follow ranged from 31 to 61%.

CONCLUSION

The uptake of HEID varied among regions depending on individual, household and health facility factors. Multifaced efforts are needed to address these factors for accelerated uptake of HEID and improved health outcomes and survival among this strategic population group.