Table 2.
Characteristics of 16 patients with severe malaria treated with artesunate with or without RBC exchange
| Overall (n = 16) | Artesunate only (n = 12) | Artesunate and RBC exchange (n = 4) | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||||
| Age | 40 (33–50) | 36 (32–48) | 47 (39–55) | 0.332 |
| Male | 11 (68.75) | 8 (66.67) | 3 (75) | 0.755 |
| Clinical data | ||||
| Number of severity criteria | 3 (1–6) | 1 (1–5) | 7 (6–10) | 0.016 |
| Clinical criteria | ||||
| >2 criteria | 6 (37.5) | 3 (25) | 3 (75) | 0.074 |
| Impaired consciousness | 3 (18.75) | 2 (16.67) | 1 (25) | 0.712 |
| Postration | 8 (50) | 5 (41.67) | 3 (75) | 0.248 |
| Multiples convulsions | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | – |
| Respiratory failure | 3 (18.75) | 1 (8.33) | 2 (50) | 0.064 |
| Shock | 4 (25) | 3 (25) | 1 (25) | 1 |
| Jaundice | 6 (37.50) | 2 (16.67) | 4 (100) | 0.003 |
| Bleeding | 3 (18.75) | 2 (16.67) | 1 (25) | 0.712 |
| Analytical and radiological criteria | ||||
| ≥2 criteria | 7 (43.75) | 3 (25) | 4 (100) | 0.009 |
| Hypoglycaemia | 2 (12.50) | 1 (8.33) | 1 (25) | 0.383 |
| Metabolic acidosis | 4 (25) | 1 (8.33) | 3 (75) | 0.008 |
| Severe normocytic anaemia | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | – |
| Haemoglobinuriaa | 4 (26.67) | 2 (16.67) | 2 (66.67) | 0.080 |
| Hyperlactataemiaa | 2 (13.33) | 0 (0) | 2 (66.67) | 0.002 |
| Renal impairment | 6 (37.50) | 2 (16.67) | 4 (100) | 0.003 |
| Pulmonary oedema | 3 (18.75) | 1 (8.33) | 2 (50) | 0.064 |
| Parasitological data | ||||
| Parasitaemia (%) | 12.5 (3.95–32.5) | 7.3 (3.85–19.50) | 46.5 (34–57) | 0.008 |
| Parasitaemia >30 % | 4 (25) | 1 (8.33) | 3 (75) | 0.008 |
| Hyperparasitaemia | 15 (93.75) | 11 (91.67) | 4 (100) | 0.551 |
Categorical variables are described by counts and percentages; continuous variables are expressed as median (interquartile range)
RBC red blood cell
aData available only for 15 participants