title: Hypoxaemia as a Mortality Risk Factor in Acute Lower Respiratory Infections in Children in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between hypoxaemia and mortality from acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in children in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review and meta-analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational studies reporting on the association between hypoxaemia and death from ALRI in children below five years in LMIC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medline, Embase, Global Health Library, Lilacs, and Web of Science to February 2015.
  Quality In Prognosis Studies tool with minor adaptations to assess the risk of bias; funnel plots and Egger's test to evaluate publication bias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 11,627 papers retrieved, 18 studies from 13 countries on 20,224 children met the inclusion criteria. Twelve (66.6%) studies had either low or moderate risk of bias. Hypoxaemia defined as oxygen saturation rate (SpO2) <90% associated with significantly increased odds of death from ALRI (OR 5.47, 95% CI 3.93 to 7.63) in 12 studies on 13,936 children. An Sp02 <92% associated with a similar increased risk of mortality (OR 3.66, 95% CI 1.42 to 9.47) in 3 studies on 673 children. Sensitivity analyses (excluding studies with high risk of bias and using adjusted OR) and subgroup analyses (by: altitude, definition of ALRI, country income, HIV prevalence) did not affect results. Only one study was performed on children living at high altitude.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this review support the routine evaluation of SpO2 for identifying children with ALRI at increased risk of death. Both a Sp02 value of 92% and 90% equally identify children at increased risk of mortality. More research is needed on children living at high altitude. Policy makers in LMIC should aim at improving the regular use of pulse oximetry and the availability of oxygen in order to decrease mortality from ALRI.
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazzerini
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Maternal and Child Health, Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137, Trieste, Italy; University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa, 1 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sonego
authors.affiliation: University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa, 1 34127 Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Chiara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pellegrin
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors