title: Interventional based study to reduce child mortality in rural Uganda.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reducing child mortality is a WHO Millennium Development Goal. Child mortality rate in Uganda in 2009 was 128. In a rural hospital observations on the paediatric ward were being performed infrequently.
  
  
  METHODS
  Introduction of regular observation. Hourly, two hourly or 4 hourly observation on sick children. Training of nurses I interpretation of observations. The number of admissions, discharges and deaths was calculated during two six month periods and mortality rates calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mortality decreased from 6.9% (34 deaths from 496 admissions) to 4% (27 deaths from 706 admissions). This is statistically significant (p-value 0.023). The demographics, cause of death and length of stay remained similar in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The simple intervention of regular nursing observation in children with associated training of nurses has resulted in a statistically significant reduction in child mortality rates in a rural hospital in Uganda.
authors.affiliation: Kiwoko Hospital, PO Box 149, Luwero, Uganda. psalm46v1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Edith Birungi
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Kantono
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D046688:Child Mortality; D002669:Child Welfare; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Observations; child mortality; observation charts