Table 4.
Comparison of laboratory findings in cerebral malaria children with and without retinopathy
| RP (N = 167) | RN (N = 87) | P value† | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean hemoglobin (g/dL) (SD) | 6.51 (2.23) | 7.75 (2.23) | < 0.001* |
| Median WBC count (× 103/μL) (IQR) | 9.8 (7.4–14.2) N = 163 | 8.5 (6.3–13.7) | 0.133 |
| Median platelet count (× 103/μL) (IQR) | 61 (37–108) N = 163 | 57 (30–111) | 0.896 |
| Median LDH (U/L) (IQR) | 856 (680–1,146) | 712.5 (492–994) | 0.003* |
| Median haptoglobin (mg/dL) (IQR) | 0 (0–0) | 0 (0–1) | 0.019* |
| Median total bilirubin (mg/dL) (IQR) | 1.5 (0.9–2.6) | 1.4 (0.7–2.2) | 0.214 |
| Median glucose (mmol/L) (IQR) | 6.4 (4.9–8.8) | 6.4 (4.8–9.3) | 0.965 |
| Median lactate (mmol/L) (IQR) | 3.7 (2.3–7.1) N = 163 | 3.7 (2.0–6.1) N = 76 | 0.258 |
| Median BUN (mg/dL) (IQR) | 18.0 (13.0–26.0) N = 165 | 14.0 (10.0–21.0) N = 86 | 0.002* |
| Median creatinine (mg/dL) (IQR) | 0.43 (0.32–0.55) N = 165 | 0.36 (0.29–0.52) N = 86 | 0.040* |
| Median BUN/creatinine ratio (IQR) | 44.4 (32.3–52) N = 159 | 36.1 (29.3–47.6) N = 83 | 0.006* |
| Hemoglobin present on urine dipstick (%) (95% CI) | 20.9 (14.4–28.6) N = 139 | 16.7 (8.9–27.3) N = 72 | 0.465 |
| Positive blood culture (%) (95% CI) | 10.8 (6.4–16.7) N = 157 | 11.0 (5.1–19.8) N = 82 | 0.972 |
| Positive HIV screen (%) (95% CI) | 1.3 (0.2–4.6) N = 154 | 3.7 (0.8–10.3) N = 82 | 0.345 |
| Stool positive for parasites (%) (95% CI) | 6.3 (2.8–12.0) N = 127 | 4.9 (1.0–13.7) N = 61 | 0.706 |
| Hookworm infection (%) (95% CI) | 0.8 (0.0–4.3) N = 127 | 0.0 (0.0–5.9) N = 61 | 1.000 |
| Median CSF WBC count (cells/μL) (IQR) | 0 (0–0) N = 122 | 0 (0–0) N = 59 | 0.919 |
| Positive CSF culture (%) (95% CI) | 0 (0–0) N = 122 | 0 (0–0) N = 61 | 1.000 |
| Median parasite density at 0 hours (/μL) (IQR) | 47,880 (9,920–295,500) N = 161 | 49,765 (15,480–273,100) N = 80 | 0.457 |
| Median parasite density at 24 hours (/μL) (IQR) | 2,080 (0–64,180) N = 143 | 1,620 (32–13,990) N = 83 | 0.551 |
| Median Plasmodium falciparum HRP-2 (ng/mL) | 3,163 (1,510–5,555) | 2,308 (470–5,176) | 0.006* |
BUN = blood urea nitrogen; CSF = cerebrospinal fluid; HIV = human immunodeficiency virus; HRP-2 = histidine-rich protein-2; IQR = interquartile range; LDH = lactate dehydrogenase; RN = retinopathy negative; RP = retinopathy positive; SD = standard deviation; WBC = white blood cell. For tests that did not include all participants, the n is listed below the result.
*
P < 0.05.
†
For categorical data, the χ2 test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare the two groups. For data represented with mean and SD, the t test was used. For data represented with median and IQR, the Kruskal–Wallis test was used.