'We just dilute sugar and give' health workers' reports of management of paediatric hypoglycaemia in a referral hospital in Malawi

Global Health Action
Cecilia LindsjöHelena Hildenwall

Abstract

Acutely sick children in resource-constrained settings who present with hypoglycaemia have poor outcomes. Studies have questioned the current hypoglycaemia treatment cut-off level of 2.5 mmol/l. Improved knowledge about health workers' attitudes towards and management of hypoglycaemia is needed to understand the potential effects of a raised cut-off level. This research explored health workers' perceptions about managing acutely ill children with hypoglycaemia in a Malawian referral hospital. A secondary objective was to explore health workers' opinions about a potential increase in the hypoglycaemia cut-off level. We used a qualitative design with semi-structured individual interviews performed with health workers in the Paediatric Accident and Emergency Unit at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi, in October 2016. Data were analysed using latent content analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Malawi, College of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee P.01/16/1852. Four themes were formed that described the responses. The first, 'Critical and difficult cases need easy treatment', showed that health workers perceived hypoglycaemia as a severe condition that was easily manageable. The second, 'Health s...Continue Reading

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