Comparative Study of Inpatient and Outpatient Treatments for Severe Acute Malnorised (SAM) Children At Elobeid Specialized Pediatric Hospital

الملخص

The study was conducted at El-Obeid Specialized Pediatric Hospital, El-Obeid, Sudan. The study aimed to make a comparison between the effects of inpatient and outpatient treatments for severely acute malnourished (SAM) children under five years of age. Eighty children were randomly selected and divided into two equal groups; 40 children were treated as inpatients with therapeutic milk, and the other 40 children were treated as outpatients with therapeutic foods. Data were collected using a questionnaire and anthropometric measurements, and then analyzed using SPSS version 16 with the t-test. Study results showed that the health conditions of 92.5% inpatients and 87.5% outpatients improved after taking the treatments, calculated t value 1.46, significance value 0.120, > (p = 0.05), therefore, there was no significant difference between both treated children. It was found that the appetites of 92.5% inpatients and all outpatients were recovered, where a calculated t value of 1.78, significance value 0.176, > (p=0.05); therefore, there were no significant differences between both treated children. There were 55% inpatients and 75% outpatients who reported improved physical activities one week after treatment, where calculated t value was 2.18, a significant value 0.00, < (p=0.05), there were significant differences in enhanced activity between both two treated children. The study findings recorded 0.41 and 2.00 cm MUAC of inpatients and outpatients, respectively, where calculated t value was 2.82, significant value 0.000, < (p=0.05). Body weight was 0.31 kg for inpatients and 1.35 kg for outpatients, where calculated t value was 1.23, significance 0.000, < (p=0.05). As additional meals, the study findings revealed that 55, 15, and 30% of outpatients’ respondents took porridge with dried meat, starchy foods, and lentils and broad beans, respectively. It can be concluded that inpatients and outpatients' therapeutic treatment positively affected the nutritional and health status of children. The study recommended raising mothers’ awareness about the factors leading to malnutrition and the benefits of therapeutic milk and therapeutic foods.