Abstract

HERNANDEZ GARCIA, Sandra; RODRIGUEZ ARENCIBIA, Miguel Ángel; HERNANDEZ GARCIA, María Nelly  and  BASABE MARQUEZ, María Isabel. Severe and complicated malaria in children at “Bata” Regional Hospital- Equatorial Guinea. Rev Ciencias Médicas [online]. 2005, vol.9, n.3, pp. 71-80. ISSN 1561-3194.

Severe malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum taken millions of lives in Third World countries every year and being children the most affected. A descriptive, prospective, cross "sectional and correlational-casual study was carried out with pediatric patients who were admitted at Bata Regional Hospital in Equatorial Guinea after practicing a thick" film method test with positive results of plasmodium falciparum from January to July 2003, aimed at establishing clinical features of children affected by plasmodium falciparum determining the number of admissions, stay in hospital, complications and mortality, scientific methods used were empiric; analyzing documents and verbal interviews, statistic methods were: parametric samples and percentage-mean, using descriptive statistics. It was determined that 49 % of the admitted children were 1-4 years old, followed by children under 1 year old (34.5 %) of the cases, 24 % of the children stayed one day in the hospital and 67 % stayed from 2 to 5 days. The total of cases admitted presenting complications were 397; it was not possible to evaluate 232 cases (23 %), severe anemia was the most frequent complications "200 children (20 %), electrolyte disorders in 79 cases (10 %) and hypoglycemia" 70 cases (7 %). Sixteen children died with severe anemia 10 (62.5 %). Those patients staying in the hospital less than a day (7 died), from 2 ? 5 days (7 children died) with 6 - 13 days in hospital only 2 children died. The most important conclusion stated was: that those children being suspected of suffering from Malaria should be immediately assisted in order to avoid severe complications of this disease.

Keywords : SEVERE MALARIA; mortality; complications.

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