The aim of MITS (Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling) Study is to establish the exact causes of death (COD) for malnourished children. It also intends to assess the social acceptability of MITS among Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) frontline healthcare workers, administrators and staff as well as community leaders and parents of young children prior to initiating the MITS procedure protocol. Eligible Malawian patients are recruited from The Childhood Acute Illness & Nutrition (CHAIN) Network cohort study at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. The MITS procedure consists of a series of post-mortem punctures using fine biopsy needles aiming to obtain tissue samples and body fluids from a body in the first few hours after death. The samples and fluids obtained through MITS are used for a thorough histo-pathological and microbiological investigations of the underlying COD. Results from this Study will lead to the development of more targeted interventions to reduce mortality of this vulnerable patient population.
