Assessment of care givers’ pre-hospital management of gastroenteritis among children in a tertiary referral hospital

Abstract

Objective: The current study sought to determine the caregivers’ pre-hospital management and treatment outcomes of GE among children under five years admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital. Design: Analytical cross-sectional study design was utilized in this study. Setting: The study was conducted in Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.
Participants: The study population included caregivers and children under five years with acute gastroenteritis presenting at pediatric emergency unit (PEU) Kenyatta National Hospital and their caregivers. A total of 102 respondents participated in the study.
Data Sources: Questionnaires and clinical examination tools were used to collect data. The data collected quantitatively from clinical examinations was analyzed using R Studio Version 2.0 statistical software.
Results: The study results revealed that 57.8% administered remedies, 15.6% administered oral rehydration salts, 14.7% took their children to the herbalist while 11.8% took no step before taking their children to hospital. The results also showed that 65% of the children recovered. There was a significant relationship between pre-hospital management and the treatment outcomes of the children, whereby the children who received ORS at home were 40% less likely to succumb to diarrheal related complications (OR=0.6, CI95%=0.5-0.9, P=0.121).
Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between caregivers’ pre-hospital management and treatment outcomes of children with GE. Therefore, there is need for all county governments to enhance health education in the community to promote positive approaches in the management of children suffering from diarrhea at home.