COMPARISON OF MEASLES COMPLICATIONS IN WELLNOURISHED AND MAL-NOURISHED CHILDREN

Authors

  • Imran Qaisar
  • Ameer Ahmad
  • Fiaz Ahmad
  • Atta ullah Mazhar

Abstract

Background: Measles is the most common and the most infectious of the viral infections of childhood.It can cause severe pneumonia, diarrhoea, encephalitis, and death. A significant proportion of deathsdue to measles in young children worldwide are attributable to low weight for age. To compare themeasles complications in well-nourished and mal-nourished children, this cross-sectional study wasconducted at Paediatric out-patient department and paediatric unit 1 Bahawal Victoria HospitalBahawalpur. Methods: Total 120 patients were included in the study. All patients presented with signsand symptoms suggestive of measles according to WHO criteria. These patients were divided into wellnourished and malnourished according to the modified Gomez classification. Both groups wereevaluated for measles complications like pneumonia, diarrhoea, encephalitis, corneal ulceration,thrombocytopenia, otitis media and myocarditis by detailed history and complete physical examination,and statistically analysed. Results: In the studied patients, 75 were males and 45 were females. Meanage was 23 months. Fifty-nine (49.2%) patients were well-nourished and 61 (50.8%) wereundernourished. Fifty-two (43.3%) patients were having pneumonia. Fifty-three (44.2%) patients werehaving diarrhoea. Twenty-six (21.7%) patients were having encephalitis. Corneal ulceration was foundin 9 (7.5%) patients. Thrombocytopenia and otitis media was present in 1 patient in each group.Fourteen patients expired. Conclusion: Measles is a global epidemic problem having many seriouscomplications, including pneumonia, diarrhoea, encephalitis, corneal ulcerations etc. Moreover thesecomplications are more frequent in under nourished children. Efforts should be made to improve thenutritional status of the children and to eradicate this disease by effective vaccination.Keywords: Measles, well-nourished, under-nourished, pneumonia, encephalitis, diarrhoea,complications, vaccination, mortality

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Published

2009-06-01

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