Disease patterns at the sick child clinic of Moi teaching and referral hospital, Kenya

Background: Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) serves a large population across the western part of Kenya, and has a sick child clinic which receives children 14 years and below. The study analyzed all cases that presented in 2014. Objective: To find out conditions presenting in the sick child clinic in MTRH. Methods: A retrospective study encompassing quantitative studies was used. All children 14 years and below presenting at the Sick child clinic in MTRH. The necessary information was recorded from the patients medical records seen in the hospital throughout 2014 using a structured questionnaire. The collcted data was cleaned and analyzed using STATA version 11. Results: A total of 29,307 children were seen at the clinic in 2014 and of those, 54.2% were male and 45.8% were female. Children aged five and below formed 67.7%. On average, about 2400 patients were seen monthly.There was an increase in patients admitted in March (9.9%) and July (9.5%). Of the conditions presenting, All other conditions’ (which included Febrile illness, Myalgia, Malnutrition) had the highest percentage at 41.1%. Other diseases of the respiratory system at 28.9% excluding pneumonia and tuberculosis. Among individual diseases, pneumonia was leading with 3.5% followed by diarrhea at 2.3%. Referrals formed about 14% of patients seen. About 20% were tested for HIV, of these only 1% were positive. Conclusion: Pneumonia was the single most prevalent disease followed by diarrhea.