ABSTRACT
To assess the feasibility and the efficacy of the Yemen national guidelines in the nutritional rehabilitation and reduction of the mortality rate in hospitalized children with severe acute malnutrition. A prospective study conducted in Al-Gumhouri Hospital in Sana'a during 2008-2010. One hundred children below the age of 5 were treated for severe acute malnutrition [SAM]. The treatment was carried out according to the Yemen National Guidelines [Which are a modified WHO guidelines] through three phases and therapeutic nutritional formulas [F75, F100] were used. During phase Iand phase the patients were treated as inpatients and transition discharged to the outpatient treatment program [OTP] during phase II. Descriptive statistics and chi-square were used in the statistical analysis of the data. P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. The tolerance of the nutritional formula was considered good in 65 [65%] of the patients and nasogastric tube was used in 35 [35%]. Ninety one [91%] of the patients responded to the treatment with an average weight gain of 9 gm/kg/day. Seven cases [7%] died during hospitalization and 86 [86%] of the patients reached the criteria for progression to phase II and discharged to the OTP after a mean [ +/- SD] duration of stay of 13.1[ +/- 3.9] days. There was significant reduction of the mortality rate from 18.4% before implementation of the guidelines to 7% [X[2] = 5.8, P<0.05]. Application of the national guidelines is feasible and proved to be effective in the treatment of severely malnourished hospitalized children resulting in good nutritional rehabilitation and reducing mortality rate.