In Under-five children, following resolution of complications and return of appetite, there is high post discharge mortality and/or relapse following in-hospital management of SAM despite the implementation of WHO guidelines. The current SAM management needs to be urgently improved and therefore, approach of using the BI spectroscopy allows to suggest for improvement of fluid management in complicated children. Thereofre, we have planned to assess metabolic correlates of bio-impedance and its validity to screen and prognostic children with complicated severe acute malnutrition. Prospective cohort study of 126 children 6-60 months old with SAM (based on MUAC, WFH or nutritional oedema admitted to referral and teaching Hospital will be included. Informed consent will be obtained from caregivers of children and all the data will be collected by professional nurses. In addition to weight and length, Oedema will be checked by gentle pressure with the thumb on the feet for 3-5 seconds. Bioimpedance parameters (impedance, R and Xc in Ohm and PA in degrees) will be measured at 50 kHz using a Quadscan 4000 analyser. Clinical parameters, resolution of acute infections, nutritional recovery (loss of oedema, restoration of appetite, weight gain) and treatment supplements received will be recorded accordingly.

My name is Teshome Bekele Elema, and I was born in Ethiopia's Oromia Region (Bule Hora). At Arsi University, I teach Functional Food and Human Nutrition. I obtained BSc (Chemistry, 2007) and MSc (Food Science and Nutrition, 2015) both at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. During my MSc, I worked on “Vitamin A, B12, folate and iron-biomarkers and CRP status of anemic pregnant women attending antenatal care, Ethiopia”. I have a total of 11 years of experience including research in both government and non-government organizations. I have prior experience conducting community-based research and a member of Regional Health Evidence to Policy Research. My PhD research will focus on “Bio-impedance and metabolic profiling to identify and understand the pathophysiology of children with complicated severe malnutrition in Ethiopia”.