Adherence to 2014 WHO guidelines for outpatient management of pneumonia (n=442‡‡) and child health preventive measures (n=594) in children aged 2–59 months in central hospitals in Vientiane, Lao PDR
| Outpatient management | N/N (%) |
| Received oral antibiotics | 438/442 (99.1) |
| Received amoxicillin* | 234/442 (52.9) |
| Received amoxicillin for 3 days if non-severe pneumonia with no LCI and treated as outpatient (n=414) | 130/414 (31.4) |
| Received amoxicillin for 5 days if non-severe pneumonia with LCI and treated as outpatient (n=12) | 1/12 (8.3) |
| Planned follow-up in 3 days or less | 392/442 (88.7) |
| Follow-up completed in those with planned follow-up | 46/392 (11.7%) |
| Preventive measures† | |
| Deworming in last 6 months if >12 months old‡ | 329/400§ (82.3) |
| Vitamin A in last 6 months if >6 months old¶ | 329/471** (69.9) |
| Received all age-appropriate immunisations†† | 549/592 (92.7) |
*Non-amoxicillin antibiotic prescribing included: third-generation cephalosporins (cefixime, 75/442, 17.0%), macrolides (azithromycin, clarithromycin and erythromycin, 84/442, 19%) and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (25/442, 5.7%).
†As per parent report or recorded in parent-held record.
‡WHO recommendation for children >12 months of age.
§Denominator is those 12 months and over only (n=427) with available data.
¶WHO recommendation for children >6 months of age.
**Denominator includes those 6 months and over only (n=524) with available data.
††Received BCG and hepatitis B immunisations at birth; completed one, two or three doses of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae B (Hib), oral polio vaccine or inactivated polio vaccine and pneumococcal immunisations at 6 weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks; received measles and rubella immunisation at 9 months.
‡‡All patients discharged with diagnosis of pneumonia, regardless of severity. Does not include those hospitalised at first presentation.
Lao PDR, Lao People’s Democratic Republic; LCI, lower chest wall indrawing.