Table 1.
Patient characteristics.
| AC (N = 23) |
UM (N = 21) |
SM (N = 26) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Male sex – no. (%) | 6 (26) | 16 (76) ** | 15 (58) |
| Age (years) – median (range) | 6.3 (2.5 - 13.3) | 6.0 (1 - 15) | 5.0 (0.5 - 17) |
| Severe malnutrition (Z-score<-3 SD) – no. (%) | 1 (4) | 2 (10) | 3 (12) |
| Systolic blood pressure – median z-score (IQR) | 0.2 (-1.1 - 1.8) | 1 (-0.1 - 1.7) | 0.1 (-1.1 - 0.9) |
| Diastolic blood pressure – median z-score (IQR) | 0.6 (-0.2 - 1.8) | 1.3 (0.3 - 2.2) | 0.9 (-0.8 - 1.6) |
| Temperature (°C) – median (IQR) | 36.2 (36 - 36.4) | 38.2 (36.9 - 39.4) *** | 38.8 (37.5 - 40) *** |
| White blood cells x 103/µl blood – median (IQR) | 6.2 (4.8 - 7.5) | 9.1 (6.4 - 14.8) ** | 8.9 (6.5 - 13.8) ** |
| Patients presenting with SM features – no. (%) | |||
| Convulsions | 0 | 1 (5)¥ | 4 (15) |
| Respiratory distress | 0 | 0 | 3 (12) |
| Prostration | 0 | 0 | 18 (69) |
| Coma (Blantyre score<3 or Glasgow score<10) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Severe anemia (Hb< 5 g/dl) | 0 | 0 | 5 (19) |
| Hyperparasitemia (> 250,000 parasites/µl) | 0 | 0 | 9 (35) |
Groups were statistically compared for sex and malnutrition by Chi-square test and for age, blood pressure, temperature and white blood cells by Man Whitney-U test. Stars represent the significance level compared to the AC group. No significant differences were found between SM and UM. ¥ less than 2 convulsions within 24h; AC, asymptomatic controls; SM, severe malaria; UM, uncomplicated malaria.