Table 4 Bi-variable Cox- regression analysis for independent predictors of mortality among under-five children with SAM admitted in UOGCSH from 2014 to 2017, Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia, May 2017 (n = 527)

Age category

≤ 24 months

1.04(.61–1.94)

> 24 months

1

Sex

Male

1

female

1.27 (0.78–2.06)

Residence

Urban

1

Rural

1.01 (0.56–1.8)

SAM type

Marasmic

1

kwashiorkor

0.79 (0.39–1.59)

Marasmic kwashiorkor

2.3 (0.5–3.59)

TB

Yes

0.67 (0.27–1.68)

No

1

HIV test

Reactive

6.84 (0.43–19.22)

Non-reactive

2.96 (0.46–6.02)

Un-known

1

Malaria

Yes

0.70 (0.09–5.09)

No

1

Diarrhoea

Yes

1.66 (0.8–2.69)

No

1

Dehydration

Yes

1.43 (0.12–3.57)

No

1

Anemia(< 11 mg/dl)

Yes

2.57 (1.46–4.53)

No

1

kuashdermatitis

Yes

1.2 (0.10–1.61)

No

1

Shock

Yes

19.02 (11.65–31.06)

No

1

Pneumonia

Yes

0.93 (0.46–1.88)

No

1

Heart failure

Yes

1.39 (0.63–3.06)

No

NGT insertion

Yes

3.35 (2.0–5.61)

No

1

Vitamin A

Yes

1

No

1.69 (0.65–3.38)

Folic acid

Yes

1

No

1.4 (0.48–3.9)

Ant malaria

Yes

1

No

1.44 (0.35–5.93)

Deworming

Yes

1

No

2.88 (.90–9.19)

Antibiotics

Yes

1

No

2.46 (1.49–4.07)

Resomal

Yes

1.37 (0.81–2.32)

No

1

Iv fluid

Yes

9.61 (5.58–16.5)

No

1

Blood transfusion

Yes

6.36 (0.8–10.4)

No

1

Pale-conjunctiva

Yes

2.22 (0.30–3.80)

No

1

Intake of F75

Yes

1

No

1.70 (0.95–3.04)

Intake F100

Yes

1

No

5.27 (3.15–8.79)

Temperature

Normal

1

Altered

2.85 (0.34–6.32)

Pulse

Normal

1

altered

2.34 (1.39–3.97)

Respiration

Normal

1

altered

1.89 (0.15–3.08)