Lung diseases at necropsy in African children dying from respiratory illnesses: a descriptive necropsy study

Accurate information about specific causes of death in African children dying of respiratory illnesses is scarce and can only be obtained by autopsy. Describes a study of children who died from respiratory diseases at University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. Some 137 boys and 127 girls aged bet...

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Published inThe Lancet (British edition) Vol. 28; pp. 985 - 990
Main Authors Chintu, C, Mudenda, V, Lucas, S, Nunn, A, Lishimpi, K, Maswahu, D, Kasolo, F, Mwaba, P, Bhat, G, Terunuma, H, Zumla, A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.09.2002
Subjects
Autopsy
Children
Death
Human immunodeficiency virus
Respiratory diseases
Zambia
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Summary:Accurate information about specific causes of death in African children dying of respiratory illnesses is scarce and can only be obtained by autopsy. Describes a study of children who died from respiratory diseases at University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. Some 137 boys and 127 girls aged between 1 month and 16 years underwent autopsy restricted to the chest cavity. Found that most children dying from respiratory diseases have preventable or treatable infectious illnesses. The presence of multiple diseases might make diagnosis difficult and WHO recommendations should therefore be updated with mention of HIV-1 positive children. Also calls for improved diagnostic tests for bacterial pathogens, tuberculosis and P carinii pneumonia. (Original abstract - amended)
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ISSN:0140-6736