Patterns and Outcomes of Pediatric Admissions at the Ho Teaching Hospital in the Volta Region of Ghana (January 2021 - December 2023)

Abstract

Background: Assessing paediatric admissions and outcomes is essential for understanding disease burden and identifying causes of mortality. This study aimed to document paediatric admissions' morbidity patterns and outcomes at the Ho Teaching Hospital in the Volta Region, Ghana. Methodology: This retrospective descriptive study assessed paediatric admissions and outcomes (from 0 to 11 years) at the Ho Teaching Hospital, Volta Region in Ghana, from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023. The age, sex, insurance status, diagnoses, length of stay, and outcome of paediatric admissions within the study period were retrieved from the LHIMS. The data were analysed using Microsoft Excel. Diagnoses were grouped under the 22 broad ICD-10 classifications. Results: There were 6298 paediatric cases admitted over the study period. Males were 3596 (57.1%) and females were 2702(42.9%), giving a male: female ratio of 1.3:1.80% of these patients were aged < less than 5 years. Certain conditions originating from the perinatal period (32.4%), certain infectious and parasitic diseases, and respiratory system diseases were the leading broad ICD-10 classifications. Neonatal jaundice 781(30.8%), neonatal sepsis and infections 401(15.8%), and prematurity 336(13.3%), then malaria 507(13.5%), trauma/poisoning 443(11.8%), sickle-cell disease and all other forms of anaemia 291(7.7%) and pneumonia 280(7.4%) were the specific leading causes for neonates and children 1month and above, respectively. Average LOS was 6.8 ± 17.1 days, while the overall mortality rate was 5.6% and the neonatal mortality rate was 9.2%. Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (49.7%) contributed the most to deaths. Conclusion: There are many neonatal admissions at Ho Teaching Hospital, which contributes mainly to more non-infectious causes of paediatric admissions than expected. Neonatal jaundice, malaria and trauma were the leading causes of morbidity. Mortality among neonates was higher than observed in other studies.