The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed guidelines for management of pediatric patients with severe malnutrition. This includes criteria for when the child can be discharged from the hospital.
Patient selection: less than 6 months of age, admitted for severe malnutrition.
Criteria for discharge from inpatient to outpatient care:
(1) all medical or clinical complications resolved with no edema
(2) good appetite
(3) clinically well and alert
(4) weight gain with feeding (breastfeeding, replacement feeds) satisfactory for at least 3 successive days
(5) immunizations and other routine interventions complete
(6) follow-up and support available in the community
where:
• Satisfactory weight gain is either (a) above the median of the WHO growth velocity standards or (b) more than 5 grams per kilogram per day.
Criteria for discontinuation of inpatient and outpatient care:
(1) feeding well (breastfeeding or with replacement feeds)
(2) adequate weight gain
(3) weight-for-length >= -2 Z-score
