Table 3.
Comparison of initial examination in cerebral malaria children with and without retinopathy
| RP (N = 167) | RN (N = 87) | P value† | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean temperature (°C) (SD) | 37.80 (1.07) | 37.68 (1.25) | 0.437 |
| Mean heart rate (beats per minute) (SD) | 151 (27) | 144 (28) | 0.040* |
| Mean systolic blood pressure (mm Hg) (SD) | 95.4 (12.0) | 95.4 (12.9) | 0.987 |
| Mean diastolic blood pressure (mm Hg) (SD) | 62.3 (11.7) | 62.2 (12.4) | 0.927 |
| Mean respiratory rate (breaths per minute) (SD) | 46.9 (14.2) | 42.7 (14.2) | 0.024* |
| Mean O2 saturation (%) (SD) | 95.2 (5.4) | 96.1 (5.4) | 0.202 |
| O2 saturation < 95% (%) (95% CI) | 31.1 (24.2–38.8) | 19.5 (11.8–29.4) | 0.049* |
| Mean Blantyre coma scale (SD) | 1.67 (0.50) N = 129 | 1.60 (0.58) N = 65 | 0.357 |
| Blantyre coma scale ≤ 1 (%) (95% CI) | 31.0 (23.2–39.7) N = 129 | 35.4 (23.9–48.2) N = 65 | 0.539 |
| Respiratory | |||
| Grunting (%) (95% CI) | 11.4 (7.0–17.2) | 10.3 (4.8–18.7) | 0.803 |
| Nasal flaring (%) (95% CI) | 22.2 (16.1–29.2) | 11.5 (5.7–20.1) | 0.038* |
| Retractions (%) (95% CI) | 18.6 (13.0–25.3) | 5.7 (1.9–12.9) | 0.004* |
| Chest indrawing (%) (95% CI) | 17.4 (11.9–24.0) | 3.4 (0.7–9.7) | 0.001* |
| Deep breathing (%) (95% CI) | 9.6 (5.6–15.1) | 6.9 (2.6–14.4) | 0.470 |
| Irregular breathing (%) (95% CI) | 3.0 (1.0–6.8) | 1.1 (0.0–6.2) | 0.667 |
| Rales (%) (95% CI) | 6.6 (3.3–11.5) | 6.9 (2.6–14.4) | 0.925 |
| Cardiovascular | |||
| Capillary refill > 2 seconds (%) (95% CI) | 14.4 (9.4–20.6) | 14.9 (8.2–24.2) | 0.903 |
| Temperature gradient of legs (%) (95% CI) | 44.3 (36.6–52.2) | 40.2 (29.9–51.3) | 0.533 |
| Dry mucous membranes (%) (95% CI) | 19.2 (13.5–26.0) | 10.3 (4.8–18.7) | 0.070 |
| Pallor (%) (95% CI) | 47.3 (39.5–55.2) | 21.8 (13.7–32.0) | < 0.001* |
| Jaundice (%) (95% CI) | 58.1 (50.2–65.7) | 39.1 (28.8–50.1) | 0.004* |
| Abnormal heart sounds (%) (95% CI) | 3.0 (1.0–6.8) | 0.0 (0.0–4.2) | 0.169 |
| Abdominal | |||
| Liver palpable (%) (95% CI) | 68.9 (61.2–75.8) | 47.1 (36.3–58.1) | 0.001* |
| Spleen palpable (%) (95% CI) | 43.7 (36.1–51.6) | 32.2 (22.5–43.1) | 0.075 |
CI = confidence interval; RN = retinopathy negative; RP = retinopathy positive; SD = standard deviation. For tests that did not include all participants, the n is listed below the result.
*
P < 0.05.
†
For categorical data, the χ2 test was used to compare the two groups. For data represented with mean and SD, the t test was used.