Table 1 Demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of inpatients versus ambulatory management.
| Variable | Inpatients (n = 34) | Ambulatory care (n = 56) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age (months) (IQR) | 58.0 (28.8–119.2) | 129.0 (95.0–162.5) | <0.001 |
| Gender (M:F) | 18:16 | 24:32 | NS |
| Mean time to hospital presentation after arrival (weeks) (SD) | 3.1 (1.7) | 6.1 (3.8) | <0.001 |
| Pre‐departure anti‐malarial treatment (%) | 15/34 (44.1) | 5/56 (8.9) | <0.001 |
| Positive initial blood smear (%) | 31/34 (91.2) | 48/56 (85.7) | NS |
| Positive ICT (%) | 32/34 (94.1) | 53/56 (94.6) | NS |
| Median percentage parasitised red blood cells (IQR) | 0.4 (0.1–1.15) | 0.1 (0.1–0.35) | 0.014 |
| Febrile at presentation (%) | 6/34 (17.6) | 0/50 (0) | 0.003 |
| Symptoms at presentation (%) | 24/34 (70.6) | 9/47 (19.1) | <0.001 |
| Splenomegaly (%) | 14/34 (41.2) | 21/54 (38.9) | NS |
| Mean haemoglobin at presentation (g/dl) (SD) | 10.3 (2.0) | 11.6 (1.4) | 0.001 |
| Haemoglobinopathy present* (%) | 19/34 (55.9) | 29/56 (51.8) | NS |
*No child was homozygous for thalassaemia and/or sickle cell disease.
ICT, immunochromatographic testing; IQR, interquartile range; F, female; M, male; NS, not significant; SD, standard deviation.