Table 1.
Clinical variables included in the ten sets, used in the logistic regression analyses
| Variable | Bed side | Bedside and simple lab | WHO 1990 | WHO 2000 | Adapted AQ | Adapted AQ plus late stages | BCAM | RCAM | MSA | MPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seizures before admission |
X |
X |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Clinical anaemia |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Clinical jaundice |
X |
X |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Bleeding |
- |
- |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Blackwater fever |
- |
- |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Temperature |
X |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Pulse |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Respiratory rate |
X |
X |
- |
X |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
- |
| Respiratory distress, requiring mechanical ventilation |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
X |
- |
| Liver palpable |
X |
X |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| GCS Total |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Pulmonary oedema | - | - | X | X | - | - | - | - | - | - |
X = included, - = not included.
BCAM score uses serum bicarbonate as a marker of acidosis with cut-off values of ≥24 mmol/L (score = 0) for normal, ≥15- < 24 mmol/L (score = 1) for deranged, and <15 mmol/L (score = 2) for very deranged along with thresholds for coma of GCS ≤14 and GCS ≤10 [23]. The acidosis and coma scores were summed to give the BCAM score, ranging from 0–4.
RCAM score uses respiratory rate as a surrogate marker for acidosis with cut offs of <20 breaths/min (score = 0) for normal, 20–39 breaths/min (score = 1) for deranged, and ≥40 breaths/min (score = 2) for very deranged.
The MSA score was defined as sum of 1 (severe anaemia [haemoglobin, <5 g/dL]) + 2 (acute renal failure [serum creatinine, >3 mg/dL or 250 μmol/L]) + 3 (respiratory distress, requiring mechanical ventilation) + 4 (cerebral malaria [GCS <11]), in which each variable was scored as 0 or 1, depending on its absence or presence, respectively [22].