Application of SIRS criteria to a paediatric surgical population in Malawi.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known regarding systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria and mortality in developing countries. We evaluated the utility of the SIRS criteria to predict death among a paediatric surgical population in Lilongwe, Malawi. METHODS: Age, SIRS variables (temperature, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate and leucocyte count), diagnosis, surgical procedure and outcome were analysed for paediatric surgical patients during 2012. Age-specific criteria for SIRS variables were then applied to the data. RESULTS: Using published SIRS criteria, temperature was the only variable that correlated with mortality. When norms for an African population were used, leucocyte count also correlated with mortality. DISCUSSION: With the exception of temperature, published SIRS criteria were not predictive of mortality. Leucocyte count became predictive of death using norms specific to an African population. SIRS and its component data are a worthwhile area of future prospective research in developing countries.