Table 2.
Laboratory findings at admission to the ICU
| Parameter | All malaria patients (n = 122 [100%]) | Noncomplicated malaria (n = 88 [100%]) | Complicated malaria (n = 34 [100%]) | P | Numbers of patients tested |
| Haemoglobin (g/dl; mean ± SD) | 13.7 ± 2 | 14 ± 1.9 | 12.9 ± 2.3 | 0.007 | 122 |
| Platelet count (× 109/l; mean ± SD) | 89 ± 51 | 104 ± 49 | 50 ± 32 | 0.000 | 122 |
| White blood cell count (× 109/l; mean ± SD) | 5.4 ± 2.2 | 5.1 ± 2.0 | 6.1 ± 2.5 | 0.023 | 122 |
| Plasma prothrombin time (%; mean ± SD) | 78 ± 17 | 79 ± 16 | 73 ± 17 | 0.066 | 122 |
| Serum sodium (mmol/l; mean ± SD) | 134 ± 4.7 | 135 ± 4.2 | 131 ± 4.6 | 0.000 | 122 |
| Serum potassium (mmol/l; mean ± SD) | 3.9 ± 0.5 | 3.8 ± 0.4 | 3.9 ± 0.7 | 0.739 | 122 |
| Serum glucose (mg/dl; mean ± SD) | 119 ± 32 | 124 ± 38 | 117 ± 29 | 0.287 | 122 |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dl; mean ± SD) | 1.5 ± 1.8 | 0.9 ± 0.4 | 2.8 ± 2.7 | 0.000 | 98 |
| C-reactive protein (mg/l; mean ± SD) | 102 ± 63 | 82 ± 45 | 151 ± 73 | 0.000 | 113 |
| Serum aspartate aminotransferase (U/l, median [IQR]) | 37 (27–72) | 33 (26–59) | 61 (35–88) | 0.001 | 122 |
| Serum alanine aminotransferase (U/l; mean ± SD) | 60 ± 39 | 56 ± 36 | 72 ± 44 | 0.045 | 122 |
| Serum creatinine (mg/dl; median [IQR]) | 1.1 (0.9–1.3) | 1 (0.9–1.2) | 1.2 (1.1–1.8) | 0.000 | 122 |
| Serum urea (mg/dl [mean ± SD]) | 40 ± 32 | 29 ± 11 | 67 ± 48 | 0.000 | 122 |
| Serum alkaline phosphatase (U/l [mean ± SD]) | 83 ± 36 | 81 ± 31 | 88 ± 46 | 0.457 | 96 |
| γ-Glutamyl transferase (U/l; mean ± SD) | 68 ± 89 | 60 ± 92 | 85 ± 79 | 0.213 | 99 |
| Lactate dehydrogenase (U/l; mean ± SD) | 333 ± 202 | 259 ± 81 | 524 ± 282 | 0.000 | 122 |
ICU, intensive care unit; IMC, intermediate care unit; IQR, interquartile range (25th to 75th percentile); SD, standard deviation.