Assessment of client satisfaction in a paediatric ward.

OBJECTIVE: To assess client satisfaction of bystanders regarding (a) outcome of the illness and treatment and (b) advice given regarding the illness and attitudes of doctors. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study based on an interviewer administered questionnaire. SETTING: A ward at Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital, Colombo. STUDY SAMPLE: The bystanders of children discharged in the morning during the defined study period of May to November 1994. RESULTS: The majority of bystanders were satisfied with the care of their children, but were less satisfied with the advice they had received regarding the illness.

Risk factors of acute lower respiratory tract infections in children under five years of age.

This study attempted to identify the determinants of acute lower respiratory-tract infections (ALRI) among children under five years of age, by comparing hundred children hospitalized with ALRI with a control group. Data on socio-demographic, biological and environmental characteristics were collected by interviewing mothers and anthropometric measurements were carried out to assess the nutritional status of the children. Risk of disease in the presence of each exposure was calculated in the univariate analysis and the best explanatory variables among them were identified in the multivariate analysis. The following variables were found to increase the risk of ALRI: (1) history of wheezing, (2) low birth weight, (3) passive smoking, (4) male sex, (5) delivery by cesarean section (6) sharing of sleeping space, (7) not being exclusively breast fed upto the completion of four months, (8) stunting, (9) having pets. The findings highlight some simple strategies which would help in prevention of ALRI.