Factors Associated with Hospital Stay Among Children with Acute Diarrhea in Abdul Moeloek Hospital

Introduction: Acute diarrhea is a common cause of hospitalization among children under 5 years of age. Knowing factors associated to hospital stay of acute diarrhea is essential to decrease cost of hospitalization. Objective: To determine factors associated with hospital stay of children with acute diarrhea. Method: Cross-sectional study during April-May 2017 in Abdul Moeloek Hospital, Lampung Province. Data was taken from Medical Record. Acute diarrhea was defined as the presence of at least three evacuation of liquid or loose stools, within 24 hours, for maximum 14 days. Longer hospital stay was defined as > 3 days hospitalization. Bivariate analysis by using Chi-Square with significantly of p < 0.05. Result: There were 24 subjects, 13 (54.2%) males and 11 (45.8%) females; 13 (54.2%) had longer hospital stay and 11 (45.8%) didn't. There were more chronic malnutrition subjects (41.7%) than normal (29.2%), moderate malnutrition (16.7%), and severe malnutrition (12.5%); leukocytosis (62.5%) than normal (37.5%); more subjects without febrile (62.5%) than with febrile (37.5%); and more subjects had > 10 times/day diarrhea (66.7%) than <= 10 times/day (33.3%). From bivariate analysis, nutritional status significantly associated with longer hospital stay (p = 0.049). Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed normal nutritional status gained shorter hospital stay than malnutrition (RR 2.1; 95% CI, 1.024-4.464). Conclusion: Normal nutritional status gained shorter hospital stay than malnutrition.