Table 2

Study characteristics

Author IDYears of studyCountryDesignFacility typePopulationNumber of subjectsAge rangeAge estimate and dispersion (months): mean (SD) or median (IQR)Female proportion (%)
All admissions/unspecified infectious admissions
 Veirum et al 8 January 1991–December 1996Guinea-BissauProspective cohortNational Referral HospitalAll admissions3373<6 y
 Moisi et al 9 January 2004–December 2008KenyaRetrospective cohortDistrict HospitalAll admissions10 277<15 y
 Wiens et al 10 March 2012–December 2013UgandaProspective cohortRegional Referral HospitalProven or suspected infection13076 m-5 y18.10 (10.8–34.6)45.1
Malnutrition
 Hennart et al 14 1970Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)Prospective cohortHospitalSevere protein-energy malnutrition1710–6+ yMean=46
 Kerac et al 12 July 2006–March 2007MalawiProspective cohortNational Referral HospitalMalnutrition10245–168 m21.5 (15.0–32.0)47
 Chisti et al 13 April 2011–June 2012BangladeshProspective cohortHospitalSevere malnutrition and radiological pneumonia4050–59 m10 (5–18)44.2
 Berkley et al 15 November 2009–March 2013KenyaRCTHospitalSevere acute malnutrition—cotrimoxazole8872–59 m11.2 (7.2–16.7)50%
Severe acute malnutrition—placebo89110.8 (6.9–16.7)48%
 Grenov et al 32 March 2014–October 2015UgandaRCTNational Referral HospitalSevere acute malnutrition—probiotics2006–59 m17.5 (8.5)42.5
Severe acute malnutrition—placebo20016.5 (8.4)42.5
Respiratory Infection
 West et al 33 May 1992–November 1994The GambiaCase-controlHospitalAcute lower respiratory tract infection118<5 yMean=9.743.2
 Villamor et al 17 1993–1997TanzaniaProspective cohortHospitalPneumonia6876–60 m17.6 (12.1)45.8
 Ashraf et al 34 September 2006–November 2008BangladeshProspective cohortHospitalSevere pneumonia1802–59 m7.3 (6.8)34.4
 Reddy et al 35 November 2008–July 2009TanzaniaRCTRegional Referral HospitalTuberculosis—standard diagnostics10<6 y21 (5–47)70
Tuberculosis—intensified diagnostics1310.5 (6.0–18.0)38.5
 Chhibber et al 16 May 2008–May 2012The GambiaProspective cohortHealth CentrePneumonia, sepsis or meningitis39522–59 m
 Ngari et al 18 January 2007–December 2012KenyaProspective cohortDistrict HospitalSevere pneumonia24611–59 m9.3 (3.9–20.4)43.2
No pneumonia527019.5 (11.0–28.5)43.6
 Newberry et al 36 April 2012–August 2014MalawiRCTHospitalPneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP)—intervention (corticosteroids)362–6 m3.1 (2.7–3.9)66.7
PJP—placebo423.4 (2.9–4.4)50
Diarrhoea
 Roy et al 19 1979–1980BangladeshProspective cohortHealth CentreDiarrhoea5513–36 m
 Stanton et al 37 October 1983–December 1983BangladeshRetrospective cohortHospitalDiarrhoea11224–72 m27
 Islam et al 20 November 1991–December 1992BangladeshProspective cohortHospitalDiarrhoea4271–23 m39.1
Anaemia/Malaria
 Zucker et al 24 March 1991–September 1991KenyaCase-controlDistrict HospitalAnaemia (case)293<60 m9.8 (8.6)50
No anaemia (control)29113.5 (11.3)50
 Biai et al 21 December 2004–January 2006Guinea-BissauRCTNational Referral HospitalMalaria—intervention4603–60 m24 (13–36)45.4
Malaria—no intervention49124 (14–39)43
 Phiri et al 25 July 2002–July 2004MalawiLongitudinal case-controlHospitalSevere anaemia3776–60 m20.4 (12.8)53.6
No anaemia37722.5 (12.1)47.7
 Phiri et al 23 June 2006– August 2009MalawiRCTHospitalSevere malarial anaemia14144–59 m23.9 (13.4)51.6
 Olupot-Olupot et al 26 2014UgandaRCTHospitalSevere anaemia—higher blood transfusion volume (30 mL/kg)7860 d–12 y31 (11–48)51
Severe anaemia—standard blood transfusion volume (20 mL/kg)8236 (19–54)50
 Opoka et al 22 November 2008–October 2013UgandaProspective cohortNational Referral HospitalCerebral malaria26918 m–12 y3.9 (2.7–6.0)35.2
Severe malarial anaemia2332.8 (2.1–3.9)39.9

  • d, day; m, month; RCT, randomised controlled trial; y, year.