Background: Though effective treatment programs for severely malnourished children are available, little is known about long-term outcomes and potential predictors of post-discharge mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the post-discharge survival status and predictors for post-discharge mortality in severely malnourished children admitted to Minia University Maternity and Children HospitalMethods: A retrospective cohort study which included 135 children under five years of age who were admitted to the nutrition rehabilitation ward with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) during the period from January to December 2018. Data were collected from the inpatient's hospital records and the children's parents/guardians were interviewed using a detailed structured questionnaire that inquired about demographic and socioeconomic variables. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the factors associated with the SAM's post-discharge mortality.Results: A total of 135 children were enrolled into the study. Death rate during hospitalization was 9.6%. The cumulative probability of survival beyond eight weeks and at least for 24 weeks after discharge was 89.3% with a cumulative probability of post-discharge mortality of 10.7% and all deaths occurred within eight weeks after discharge. The main predictor for the SAM's post-discharge mortality was illiteracy of mothers; the multivariable HR (95%CI) was 7.10 (1.58-31.93; p=0.01).Conclusions: Mothers' education and edema at admission are independent predictors for postdischarge mortality in under-five children with SAM. The identification of predictors for post-discharge mortality is an important preliminary step for interventions aiming to reduce morbidity and mortality following discharge.
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