Paediatric anaemia at Kamuzu Central Hospital

This retrospective study assessed the outcome of children admitted during a six week period to Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) with anaemia. 19% of admissions had a primary discharge diagnosis of anaemia and there was a 12% mortality. Children who died were more likely than those who did not to have other diagnoses that may have contributed to mortality. 72% had a diagnosis that included both anaemia and malaria, but malaria was only documented in 36%. Malaria may be oveJlodiagnosed in that 57% of cases with a diagnosis that included malaria had negative blood smears for malaria. More data is required to determine whether delays in obtaining blood for transfusion influence mortality.