Mid-upper-arm circumference based case-detection, admission, and discharging of under five children in a large-scale community-based management of acute malnutrition program in Nigeria

Table 1 Admission and discharge criteria (i.e. for patients discharged as cured) used in the Nigerian outpatient therapeutic program

Admission criteria	Discharge criteria
MUAC < 115 mm	MUAC > 115 mm and no edema, evidence of sustained weight gain, and clinically well^a
Bilateral pitting edema	MUAC > 115 mm and no oedema for two consecutive visits (i.e. at least two weeks), and clinically well
WHZ < − 3	MUAC > 115 mm and WHZ > − 2 and no oedema for two consecutive visits, and clinically well

^aThis differs from the WHO recommendation of MUAC ≥125 mm. This was considered acceptable as the program is delivered in local primary healthcare centres and caregivers were instructed to return to the clinic of the child became ill or did not continue to gain weight after discharge

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