title: Measles complications: the importance of their management in reducing mortality attributed to measles.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marufu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siziya
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murugasampillay
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Manyame
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tshimanga
mesh_terms: 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