BASIC PEDIATRIC PROTOCOLS KENYA

About BASIC PEDIATRIC PROTOCOLS KENYA

This pocket book consists of guidelines on classification of illness severity,
criteria for admission, and inpatient management of the major causes of
childhood mortality such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, severe malnutrition, meningitis, HIV and neonatal conditions. the guidelines target management of the seriously ill newborn or child in the first 24 48 hours of arrival at hospital.
The booklet is aimed at doctors, clinical officers, nurses and other health Workers responsible for the care of sick newborns and young children at all
levels, although mainly targets those who have to provide basic hospital care.
It will also be useful tor tertiary or university hospitals for defining basIC
evidence informed care to students in medical schools and other health
training institutions. The guidelines presume health facilities that provide care should have capacity to do essential investigations for common serious childhood illnesses and avail essential drugs for the care of seriously sick children.
The first edition was inspired by the WHO Book, "A Pocket Book of Hospital
Care for Children" (2005 Edition). It has subsequently been updated based on
specific and up to date reviews of emerging new research evidence and
technologies using the GRADE approach.
The simplified algorithms in this booklet can be enlarged and used as job
aides in emergency rooms (casualty and outpatient departments), paediatric
wards, delivery rooms and newborn units. These guidelines will undergo
periodic revision to keep abreast with new developments and hence continue
to deliver quality care to the children of this nation. Updates or additional
materials can be found at the websites: www.idoc-africa.org and www.guidelines.health.go.ke
Ithank KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, the Kenya Paediatric
Association, Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health Unit, Department of
Paediatrics and Child Health University of Nairobi and the SIRCLE
Collaboration for assisting in updating the guidelines.

Dr. Nicholas Muraguri
The Principal Secretary
Ministry of Health