Modelling Of Malaria Inpatients Length Of Stay At St. Francis Refferal Hospital Morogoro Region Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Malaria remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality, leading to more than 600

million cases and two million deaths each year worldwide. Over 90% of these cases

occur in sub-Saharan Africa where Falciparum Malaria is pervasive and the major

killer of children below five (5) years old. This study was conducted through

modelling the length of stay using some variables from hospital register for

inpatients with Malaria.

The results showed that the hospital length of stay per day at St. Francis referral

hospital was influenced by predictors that are, lab-turnaround time (TAT), actual

treatment, season when the patient was admitted, patient diagnostic status, severity,

distance and age, which were statistically significant at α = 0.01(1%) and 0.05(5%)

with their p-values 0.001(1%), 0.008(5%), 0.013(5%), 0.005(1%), 0.000(1%),

0.000(1%), 0.000(1%) respectively. However, the variable patient outcome on

admission was insignificant with p-value 0.107. Also, the findings from Logistic

Regression indicate that the predictors distance, duration of stay in hospital (LOS),

age, Referral status, sex, patient diagnostic status and season when the patient was

admitted; were statistically significant at 1% and 5% with their p-value 0.004 (5%),

0.035 (5%), 0.005 (5%), 0.007 (5%), 0.043 (5%) and 0.039 (5%) odds ratios

(1.124,1.023,0.867,0.036,1.455,1.065 and 0.170) respectively were independent risk

factors for severe malaria among inpatient at St. Francis referral hospital. Clinical

laboratory turnaround time performance was insufficient, since five months out of

six months the process was incapable, but the process was capable only for one

month with the p c and k Cp of 1.58 and 1.29 respectively.