Signs & Management

Clinical signs

Main characteristic: Weight for age, height for age, weight for height or BMI are below -2 z score.

Secondary characteristic: 

• Oedema
• Skin nail and hair changes
• Enlargement or tenderness of liver, jaundice
• Abdominal distension, bowel sounds, “abdominal splash” (a splashing sound in the abdomen)
• Severe pallor
• Signs of circulatory collapse: cold hands and feet, weak radial pulse, diminished consciousness
• Temperature: hypothermia or fever
• Thirst
• other signs of infections eventually

 Biological signs

They are specific to associated diseases that are usually associated

Treatment

Treatment in health facilities for severe cases

Balanced diet and treatment of secondary diseases for acute and non severe cases

Nutritional rehabilitation for the child, empowerment of families and comunities in low income settings, psychological interventions for families in chronic and endemic settings.

Conflicts and disaster management for basic causes.