Pre-hospital risk factors for inpatient death from severe febrile illness in Malian children.

Background: Inpatient case fatality from severe malaria remains high in much of sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of these deaths occur within 24 hours of admission, suggesting that pre-hospital management may have an impact on the risk of case fatality.

Methods: Prospective cohort study, including questionnaire about pre-hospital treatment, of all 437 patients admitted with severe febrile illness (presumed to be severe malaria) to the paediatric ward in Sikasso Regional Hospital, Mali, in a two-month period.

Blood glucose and prognosis in children with presumed severe malaria: is there a threshold for 'hypoglycaemia'?

Objectives: Hypoglycaemia (glucose <2.2 mmol/l) is a defining feature of severe malaria, but the significance of other levels of blood glucose has not previously been studied in children with severe malaria.

Methods: A prospective study of 437 consecutive children with presumed severe malaria was conducted in Mali.