Gerardin et al identified risk factors for mortality in African children with falciparum malaria. This can help identify patients who may benefit from more aggressive management and closer monitoring. The authors are from Dakar in Senegal and Lille, Marseille and Saint-Mande in France.
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Parameters:
(1) platelet count
(2) cerebral malaria
(3) respiratory distress
(4) blood glucose
(5) organ failure
Risk Factor
Odds Ratio
thrombocytopenia with platelet count < 100,000 per µL
13
cerebral malaria
30
respiratory distress
4
hypoglycemia with glucose < 2.2 mmol/L
6
one or more organ failures (below)
29
Organ failures:
(1) renal failure with elevated serum creatinine
(2) collapse (systolic hypotension with blood pressure < 60 mm Hg if <= 5 years of age or < 80 mm Hg if > 5 years of age)
(3) abnormal bleeding (coagulopathy)
(4) pulmonary edema
For the implementation I used a simple score, with respiratory distress and hypoglycemia as 1 point; thrombocytopenia 2 points; cerebral malaria and organ failures 4 points.
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