Dear All,

According to SAM management protocol, appetite test is done during date of admission and in every follow up visit. At admission appetite test conducted to identify appropriate TFP intervention (either to SC or to OTP) to admit the patients. Moreover, in every visit, appetite test is conducted to monitor the patients’ progress and to reveal if patient developed any medical complication/illness/metabolic malnutrition. Therefore, according to the appetites test result, appropriate measure could taken. If failed, the patient would be linked to SC program. If passed for appetite test, the patient will continue in OTP until cure from SAM and linked to TSFP for 2 months.
It’s well known that the aim of conducting appetite test is to know if the SAM patient has metabolic malnutrition (such as liver dysfunction, electrolyte imbalance, cell membrane damage or damaged biochemical pathways) and illness as malnourished person frequently show no signs of these illness.
Even though the definition and identification of SAM is by anthropometric measurements for CMAM oriented program, there is not a perfect correlation between anthropometric and metabolic malnutrition.

Appetite test for MAM beneficiaries: according to MAM management, appetite test is not conducted routinely at every visit and any MAM beneficiaries who has health problem/illness assessed/diagnosed (without laboratory investigation) and treated according to IMNCI/ICCM as well-nourished individuals.
Therefore, my question is:
1. Is there any research done on the level of CORRELATION b/n being MAM vs. appetite test result?
2. What proportion of MAM beneficiaries shows signs of infection if developed infection?

Thanks for your reply.