| dc.contributor.author | Gachoka, Lilian Njeri | |
| dc.contributor.author | Omuga, Blasio Osogo. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-10-31T08:09:25Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-10-31T08:09:25Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2018 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 2320-5407 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/7601 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://repository.mut.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/6770 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: Heart disease is a debilitating condition contributing to
high morbidity and mortality rates as well as high disease burden
among children. The aim of this study was to establish the
characteristics of children with heart disease aged 0-12 years in
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 92
children with heart disease admitted in paediatric wards of KNH,
Kenya. Results: Of the 92 children (54.3%) were infants and (52.2%)
were males. Mean age was 2.4(+3.4) years. The mean age at diagnosis
for congenital heart disease and acquired heart disease was 23 months
and 6.09 years respectively. Most (79.3%) children had congenital
heart defects; Ventricular septal defect (22.8%) being the most
prevalent. Rheumatic heart disease and dilated cardiomyopathies were
the most common (5.4%) acquired conditions. Forty nine (53.3%)
children had heart failure.Characteristics with statistical significance
were; slow weight gain [P=0.008], cyanosis [P=0.032], use of
accessory muscles of respiration [P=0.007] and heart murmur
[P=0.001] for children with congenital heart defects while weight loss
[p≤ 0.001], dyspnoea [p≤ 0.001], abnormal pulsations [P=0.001],
cardiac failure [p≤ 0.001], weakness/fatigue [p≤ 0.001] and
polyarthritis [p≤ 0.001] were significant for children with acquired
heart disease Conclusion: Congenital heart defects are the most
common heart conditions in KNH commonly affecting infants and
male children. There was a likely delayed diagnosis of congenital heart
disease as about half the children presented already in heart failure on
admission. | en_US |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | International Journal of Advanced Research | en_US |
| dc.subject | Heart disease, characteristics, congenital heart disease (CHD), acquired heart disease.. | en_US |
| dc.title | CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WITH HEART DISEASE AGED 0-12 YEARS IN KENYATTA NATIONAL HOSPITAL PAEDIATRIC WARDS, KENYA | en_US |
| dc.type | Article | en_US |
