Hi Neil,
I am not aware of such studies. To get reliable data would require a confidential enquiery into childhood deaths including interviews of parents to trace back accurately the immidiate history prior to death. Relying on records kept (or not kept) by health workers would not be sufficient. The sample size would not have to be huge. It would need to done in a country where deaths are recorded with sufficient details that allow researchers to contact the child's family even if death occur outside health facilities.
Audits we have done on inpatients regards iv fluid treatment and AB prescribing revealed shortcomings with improvements following training/mentoring. Even in these relatively well recorded cases it would have been difficult to associate deaths to any of these shortcomings found as causes are so multifactorial.
Best wishes
Martin
CHIFA Profile: Martin Becker is a retired Consultant Paediatrician at Cambridgeshire Community (NHS) Services in the UK. He has been involved in establishing and evaluating ETAT+ training in hospitals in Rwanda and Paediatric Palliative Care in Uganda. martin.becker AT nhs.net
