Measles complications: the importance of their management in reducing mortality attributed to measles.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of rates of complications among cases and management of complicated cases on measles case fatality rates.


METHODS
Measles disease surveillance.


METHODS
City of Gweru, Department of Health.


METHODS
Children aged zero to 15 years.


METHODS
Case fatality rates.


RESULTS
Measles case fatality rates declined from 47.6 in 1967 to zero in 1989. Between 1967 and 1978 respiratory infections were the predominant complications (66.5%), while after 1979 diarrhoea was the predominant complications (60.6%). A significant partial correlation coefficient was observed between rates of mortality among complicated cases and case fatality rates (r = 0.89, df = 20, p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Good management of complicated cases may have contributed towards the decline in measles case fatality rates.
Marufu
T
T
Department of Community Medicine, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Siziya
S
S
Murugasampillay
S
S
Mason
E
E
Manyame
B
B
Tshimanga
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008457:Measles / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000821:virology; D014504:Urban Health; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology