Prevalence of hypoglycaemia in under-five children presenting with acute diarrhoea in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar.

Abstract

Background: The clinical features of hypoglycaemia and se-vere dehydration are similar, and these two can occur in a child pre-senting with acute diarrhoea. Hypo-glycaemia occurring in a growing brain is deleterious and must be detected and treated. Objective: To determine the preva-lence of hypoglycaemia among under-five children presenting with acute diarrhoea in UCTH, Calabar. Method: This was a prospective study of 150 children aged six weeks to five years presenting with acute diarrhoea in UCTH, Calabar from June 1st to October 31st 2008. Consecutive children who met the inclusion criteria were recruited into the study. Blood samples were collected for random blood sugar and serum electrotype estimation using One Touch Ultra Test Strips 2006 model and Flame photometry respectively. Results: The overall prevalence of hypoglycaemia in under-five chil-dren presenting with acute diar-rhoea was 4%. There was no sex difference. It was commonest among children of the low socio-economic class (83.3%). Risk fac-tors to developing hypoglycaemia were longer duration of last feeds greater than five hours and severe dehydration, both reaching statisti-cally significant differences (p=0.022 and 0.002; FET respec-tively). Forty percent of patients who died had hypoglycaemia con-stituting 33.3% of patients with hypoglycaemia. Conclusion: Children with diar-rhoea complicated with severe de-hydration are prone to developing hypoglycaemia. It causes high mor-tality and thus this parameter should be checked for and managed on time.