Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics
| Demographics | Total population n=494 | Not hospitalised (n=438) | Hospitalised (n=56) | ||
| Age (months) | Median (IQR) | 18 (10–30) | 19 (10–32) | 13 (6–21) | <0.001 |
| Age 2–11 months | n (%) | 157/494 (31.8%) | 132/438 (30.1%) | 25/56 (44.6%) | 0.033 |
| Age 12–35 months | n (%) | 252/494 (51.0%) | 224/438 (51.1%) | 28/56 (50.0%) | NS |
| Age 36–60 months | n (%) | 85/494 (17.2%) | 82/438 (18.7%) | 3/56 (5.3%) | 0.013 |
| Male | n (%) | 271/494 (54.8%) | 240/438 (54.8%) | 31/56 (55.4%) | NS |
| Weight for age* > −1 SD | n (%) | 371/481 (77.1%) | 336/438 (76.7%) | 35/56 (62.5%) | 0.032 |
| Weight for age −2 to −1 SD | n (%) | 68/481 (14.1%) | 55/438 (12.6%) | 13/56 (23.2%) | 0.038 |
| Weight for age −3 to −2 SD | n (%) | 34/481 (7.1%) | 27/438 (6.1%) | 7/56 (12.5%) | NS |
| Weight for age < −3 SD | n (%) | 8/481 (1.7%) | 8/438 (1.8%) | 0/56 (0%) | NS |
| Respiratory rate (bpm) | Median (IQR) | 60(54-65) | 59 (52.5–64) | 68(62-72) | <0.0001 |
| Body temperature (°C) | Median (IQR) | 37.4 (36.8–38.2) | 37.4 (36.8–38.1) | 37.8 (37.1–38.6) | 0.015 |
| Antibiotics given | n (%) | 442/466 (94.8%) | 390/411 (94.9%) | 52/55 (94.6%) | NS |
| Antimalarial given | n (%) | 41/441 (9.3%) | 34/392 (8.7%) | 7/49 (14.3%) | NS |
| HIV positive | n (%) | 11/494 (2.2%) | 10/438 (2.2%) | 1/56 (1.8%) | NS |
| Malaria RDT positive | n (%) | 70/485 (14.3%) | 59/438 (13.5%) | 11/56 (19.6%) | NS |
| Clinical Characteristics | |||||
| WHO defined severity† | n (%) | 64/494 (12.9%) | 47/438 (10.7%) | 17/56 (30.4%) | <0.001 |
| Fever | n (%) | 470/494 (95.1%) | 417/438 (95.2%) | 53/56 (94.6%) | NS |
| Cough | n (%) | 492/494 (99.6%) | 436/438 (99.5%) | 56/56 (100%) | NS |
| Vomiting | n (%) | 122/494 (24.7%) | 99/438 (22.6%) | 23/56 (41.1%) | 0.005 |
| Diarrhoea | n (%) | 22/494 (4.5%) | 19/438 (4.3%) | 3/56 (5.4%) | NS |
| Abnormal sleepiness | n (%) | 8/494 (1.7%) | 6/438 (1.4%) | 2/56 (3.6%) | NS |
| Coryza | n (%) | 259/494 (52.4%) | 230/438 (52.5%) | 29/56 (51.9%) | NS |
| Sneezing | n (%) | 156/494 (31.6%) | 144/438 (32.9%) | 12/56 (21.4%) | NS |
| Difficulty breathing | n (%) | 184/494 (37.2%) | 138/438 (31.5%) | 46/56 (82.1%) | <0.0001 |
| Deep breathing | n (%) | 53/494 (34.8%) | 26/438 (5.9%) | 27/56 (48.2%) | <0.0001 |
| Wheeze | n (%) | 36/494 (7.3%) | 25/438 (5.7%) | 11/56 (19.6%) | 0.001 |
| In-drawing lower chest wall | n (%) | 172/494 (34.8%) | 128/438 (29.2%) | 44/56 (78.6%) | <0.0001 |
| Nasal flaring | n (%) | 216/494 (43.7%) | 175/438 (40.0%) | 41/56 (73.2%) | <0.0001 |
| Grunting | n (%) | 28/494 (5.6%) | 14/438 (3.2%) | 14/56 (25.0%) | <0.0001 |
| Head nodding | n (%) | 17/494 (3.4%) | 10/438 (2.2%) | 7/56 (12.5%) | 0.001 |
*Weight was not recorded in 11 children and 3 children were oedematous.
†Describes 64 children with any one of severe malnutrition (weight for age <3 SD, n=8), unable to feed/drink (n=50), stridor (n=9), lethargy (n=0), unconsciousness (n=0), vomiting everything (n=0), convulsions (n=0).
NS, not significant; RDT, rapid diagnostic test.