Baseline characteristics
| Characteristics | Preintervention n=1227 (%) | Postintervention n=1419 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Male sex—number | 683 (55.6) | 797 (56.1) |
| Age—number | ||
| ≤12 months | 289 (23.5) | 351 (24.7) |
| >12–60 months | 371 (30.2) | 365 (25.7) |
| 61–120 months | 247 (20.1) | 327 (23.0) |
| >120 months | 320 (26.1) | 376 (26.5) |
| Ward of origin—number | ||
| PICU | 228 (18.5) | 281 (19.8) |
| General paediatric wards | ||
| Infectious ward | 466 (38) | 450 (31.7) |
| Non-infectious ward | 533 (43.4) | 688 (48.4) |
| Source of patients—number | ||
| Community | 758 (61.7) | 835 (58.8) |
| Referred from another hospital | 424 (34.5) | 492 (34.6) |
| Transferred from other units within hospital | 45 (3.6) | 92 (6.4) |
| Underlying diseases—number | ||
| Neurology | 243 (19.8) | 229 (16.1) |
| Renal | 158 (12.8) | 121 (8.5) |
| Respiratory | 147 (12) | 169 (11.9) |
| Malignancy | 144 (11.7) | 187 (13.1) |
| Cardiovascular | 111 (9) | 177 (12.4) |
| Haematology | 101 (8.2) | 147 (10.3) |
| Gastro-hepatology | 101 (8.2) | 89 (6.2) |
| Infectious | 103 (8.4) | 107 (7.5) |
| Immunology | 45 (3.6) | 71 (5) |
| Endocrinology | 15 (1.2) | 22 (1.5) |
| Malnutrition | 11 (0.9) | 12 (0.8) |
| Surgery | 48 (3.9) | 88 (6.2) |
PICU, paediatric intensive care unit.