个体化生物反馈训练联合早期排便功能训练对低位直肠癌保肛术后患者肠道功能、肛肠动力学和生活质量的影响

摘要 目的：探讨个体化生物反馈训练联合早期排便功能训练对低位直肠癌保肛术后患者肠道功能、肛肠动力学和生活质量的影响。方法：纳入我院2018年4月~2021年9月期间收治的90例行低位直肠癌保肛术患者。按照住院号奇偶数将患者分为对照组（早期排便功能训练,45例）和研究组（对照组基础上结合个体化生物反馈训练,45例）。对比两组肠道功能、肛肠动力学和生活质量、肛门失禁情况及控便满意度。结果：两组干预后排便受饮食影响、便频便急、排便感觉异常评分均下降,但研究组高于对照组（P<0.05）。两组干预后健康调查量表简表（SF-36）各维度评分均升高,且研究组高于对照组（P<0.05）。研究组的肛门失禁例数少于对照组,控便满意度则高于对照组（P<0.05）。两组干预后肛管静息压、肛管最大收缩压、直肠最大耐受容量均下降,但研究组高于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：个体化生物反馈训练联合早期排便功能训练可促进低位直肠癌保肛术后患者肠道功能恢复,改善肛肠动力学和生活质量,减少肛门失禁情况发生,控便满意度较好。     

Oral health behind bars: a study of oral disease and its impact on the life quality of an older prison population

Objective: The principal aims of this study were to report on the prevalence of oral disease and its impact on the life quality of older (aged 60 and above) prisoners at Hong Kong SAR's elderly detention centre, China. Design: A cross‐sectional epidemiological survey involving clinical oral examinations and face‐to‐face interviews with 64 older prisoners at the centre. Clinical oral examinations were carried out following WHO criteria. The impact of oral health on life quality was assessed using the 14‐item Oral Health Impact Profile measure, OHIP‐14 Results: The prevalence of oral disease was high, the mean DMFT was 22.5 (SD 10.6) and 40% (18) of the dentate prisoners had shallow or deep periodontal pockets. Most (75%, 48) were in need of prosthetic treatment. Over half the prisoners experienced one or more oral health impacts on life quality during the previous year. This was associated with socio‐demographic factors: employment status prior to incarceration (P<0.01), oral health behaviour: smoking habits (P<0.01) and clinical oral health status: DMFT (P<0.05) and prosthetic need (P<0.05). Conclusion: Among inmates at Hong Kong's elderly detention centre, the prevalence of oral disease was high and the impact of oral health on their life quality was substantial. The impact of oral health on the life quality of the older prisoners was associated with prisoners socio‐demographic background, oral health behaviour and oral health status.     

直肠癌切除术患者永久性与临时性造口术后生活质量变化及其与排便症状的相关性研究

摘要 目的：探讨直肠癌切除术患者永久性与临时性造口术后生活质量变化,并分析其生活质量与排便症状的相关性。方法：纳入我院2017年4月～2020年4月收治的直肠癌切除术患者110例,所有纳入者均行造口术。根据造口方式,分成永久性造口组（简称永久组,n=41）、临时性造口组（简称临时组,n=69）。记录两组造口并发症发生率,分别在患者术后1、3、6个月,采用简明生活质量量表（SF-36）评估其生活质量,采用排便症状量表评估患者排便症状的变化。经Pearson线性相关分析患者生活质量评分与排便症状评分的相关性。结果：临时组造口并发症发生率（8.90%）与永久组（12.20%）比较无差异（P＞0.05）。两组术后3、6个月SF-36各维度评分均高于术后1个月,术后6个月各评分高于术后3个月,且临时组术后3个月SF-36各维度评分高于永久组（P＜0.05）,但两组术后6个月各评分比较无差异（P＞0.05）。两组术后3、6个月大便症状各评分均低于术后1个月,术后6个月的排便急迫感、排便费力、里急后重评分及总分低于术后3个月,且临时组术后3个月的排便急迫感、排便费力、里急后重评分及总分低于永久组（P＜0.05）,但两组术后6个月排便症状各评分比较未见差异（P＞0.05）。Pearson线性相关分析显示,排便症状总分与机体疼痛、躯体功能、躯体角色受限、情感角色受限、心理健康、社会功能、总体健康评分呈负相关（P＜0.05）。结论：直肠癌切除术患者临时性造口能够进一步促进术后3个月生活质量、排便功能的改善,在术后6个月,永久性造口患者的生活质量、排便功能基本达到临时性造口患者的状态,且排便功能与生活质量具有相关性。     

Impact of massive dose of vitamin A given to preschool children with acute diarrhoea on subsequent respiratory and diarrhoeal morbidity.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the impact of vitamin A supplementation on morbidity from acute respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea. DESIGN--Double blind randomised placebo controlled field trial. SETTING--An urban slum area in New Delhi, India. SUBJECTS--900 children aged 12-60 months attending a local health facility for acute diarrhoea of less than seven days'' duration randomly allocated to receive vitamin A 200,000 IU or placebo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Incidence and prevalence of acute lower respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea during the 90 days after termination of the enrolment diarrhoeal episode measured by twice weekly household surveillance. RESULTS--The incidence (relative risk 1.07; 95% confidence interval 0.92 to 1.26) and average number of days spent with acute lower respiratory tract infections were similar in the vitamin A supplementation and placebo groups. Among children aged 23 months or less there was a significant reduction in the incidence of measles (relative risk 0.06; 95% confidence interval 0.01 to 0.48). The incidence of diarrhoea was also similar (relative risk 0.95; 0.86 to 1.05) in the two groups. There was a 36% reduction in the mean daily prevalence of diarrhoea associated with fever in the vitamin A supplemented children older than 23 months. CONCLUSIONS--Results were consistent with a lack of impact on acute lower respiratory tract related mortality after vitamin A supplementation noted in other trials and a possible reduction in the severity of diarrhoea.     

双吻合器在全直肠系膜切除低位直肠癌保肛手术中应用的探讨

目的探讨双吻合器在全直肠系膜切除低位直肠癌保肛手术中的应用方法、并发症及临床效果。方法回顾性分析在全直肠系膜切除的基础上,应用双器械吻合技术,对48例中低位直肠癌行低位或超低位吻合的保肛手术方法,观察其术后并发症,以及术后排便功能,局部复发率。结果随访1～4年,低位吻合44例,超低位吻合4例。15例6个月内大便次数每天多于5次,6个月后大便次数均在每天3次以下,无大便失禁。吻合口漏1例,吻合口狭窄1例,吻合口出血3例,吻合口复发1例,全组无手术死亡。结论双吻合器能简化手术操作,维持正常排便功能,提高了生活质量。     

双歧杆菌四联活菌片联合乳果糖对儿童功能性便秘患者排便频次及肠道菌群的影响

使用双歧杆菌四联活菌片联合乳果糖的治疗方案对儿童功能性便秘患者排便频次及肠道菌群的影响进行探究。

通过随机数表法将选取的150例于2021年5月至2022年12月来我院进行便秘治疗的儿童分为观察组（75例）和对照组（75例）,对照组患儿采用乳果糖进行治疗,观察组在对照组乳果糖治疗的基础上给予双歧杆菌四联活菌片,对两组患儿的临床疗效、排便频次、肠道菌群和不良反应以及复发率作对比。

观察组和对照组患儿经治疗后的临床总有效率对比,对照组（86.67%）显著低于观察组（97.33%）,差异有统计学意义（χ² = 4.438,P = 0.035）;治疗后两组患儿便秘频次和便秘困难程度评分与治疗前相比均有所降低,且对照组患儿的便秘频次和便秘困难程度评分降低幅度不及观察组显著（t = 8.880,P＜0.001）;两组患儿经治疗后双歧杆菌数量均有增多,葡萄球菌、酵母菌、肠杆菌数量均有减少,且对照组患儿无论是双歧杆菌数量的增多情况或是葡萄球菌、酵母菌、肠杆菌数量的减少情况均不及观察组显著（t = 7.823,P＜0.001）;观察组和对照组患儿中的不良反应发生率分别为9.33%和12.00%,差异无统计学意义（χ² = 0.280,P = 0.597）,复发率在观察组和对照组患儿中分别为2.67%和14.67%,差异有统计学意义（χ² = 5.390,P = 0.020）。

双歧杆菌四联活菌片联合乳果糖能够有效改善患儿的临床症状,增加患儿排便频次,平衡肠道菌群,提高患儿的生活质量。

     

Parental quality of life in the framework of paediatric chronic gastrointestinal disease

Chronic gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and celiac disease (CD), might have impact not only on the affected child but also on their parents since inside the family framework, a change in each member may have influence on the whole system. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that parents whose children have IBD or CD will have a lower quality of life (QoL) compared to parents of healthy children, as well as that lower QoL will be found among parents who perceive lower health related quality of life (HRQOL) of their child. 55 parents of children with IBD, 49 of CD and 53 parents of healthy children were included in the study. Children were aged 7-18 years. In order to measure parental QoL, a Croatian version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was administered, with four domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationship and environment. The Total QoL was calculated as a sum of all domain items. The parent-proxy report of children's HRQOL, PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales was used. Main result shows that parents of children with IBD report a significantly lower psychological health, compared to parents of other children, and significantly lower physical health compared to parents of healthy children. Among parents of children with CD and parents of healthy children, better parental Total QoL was significantly correlated with better parental report of children's HRQOL, while for parents of children with IBD those associations were not found. Results of study show association between presence of the disease in offspring with poorer parental QoL, thus highlight the importance of supporting not only children with chronic disease but also involving their parents in psychosocial interventions, as well as supporting the patient's association groups which gather both children with chronic disease and their parents.     

The prevalence of urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is a significant health problem with considerable social and economic impact. It is important to distinguish between prevalence and incidence with regard to incontinence, and prevalence-the probability of having incontinence within a defined population at a defined point in time-is the more important when considering its impact and the utilization of healthcare resources. There are large variations in the severity and impact of incontinence, and its severity, frequency, and predictability all need to be considered when evaluating its effects on patients, The degree of bother is particularly significant when determining who will need treatment. Incontinence may be a result of bladder dysfunction, sphincter dysfunction, or a combination of both, but large-scale studies are not designed to determine the etiology. In young women, the prevalence of incontinence is usually low, but prevalence peaks around menopause, with a steady rise there-after into later life. Although the prevalence of stress and mixed (stress and urge) incontinence is higher than urge incontinence, the latter is more likely to require treatment. In women, moderate and severe bother have a prevalence ranging from about 3% to 17%. Severe incontinence has a low prevalence in young women, but rapidly increases at ages 70 through 80. In men, the prevalence of incontinence is much lower than in women, about 3% to 11% overall, with urge incontinence accounting for 40% to 80% of all male patients. Stress incontinence accounts for less than 10% of cases and is attributable to prostate surgery, trauma, or neurological injury. Incontinence in men also increases with age, but severe incontinence in 70- to 80-year-old men is about half of that in women. The most effective therapy for incontinence will rely on targeting the correct populations to be treated, which depends on how data is collected on prevalence and severity.     

Biofeedback treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.

Biofeedback has had a greater impact on gastroenterology than on any other medical subspecialty. Biofeedback is the treatment of choice for many of the most common types of fecal incontinence, and preliminary studies suggest that it is likely to become a preferred method for treating patients with constipation related to inability to relax the striated pelvic floor muscles during defecation. This dysfunction may account for up to 50% of patients with chronic constipation. Thermal biofeedback forms part of a multicomponent behavioral treatment for irritable bowel syndrome that is reported to be effective, and other promising applications of biofeedback for gastrointestinal disorders are under investigation.     

Parental behaviour in the Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

Parental behaviour of monogamous and polygynous Lapwings was studied during incubation and brood care. Both parents attended the nest in 86% of monogamous pairs ( n = 29 pairs). In 14% of pairs, only the male parent continued incubation until the eggs hatched, whereas the female deserted the clutch before or at the end of incubation. There was a clear division of parental roles during incubation. Females spent more time incubating (64% of time) than their mates (27%), whereas males spent more time defending the nest (3%) than females (>1%). Time spent incubating did not differ between monogamous and polygynous males. However, polygynous females spent more time incubating (primary females: 95%; secondary females: 97%) than monogamous females. Biparental care was the most common pattern of post-hatching care, although in some broods either the male or the female parent deserted before the chicks fledged. Division of sex roles was less pronounced in brood care than during incubation. Females spent more time brooding (21%) than males (3%), and females attended their chicks more closely than males. Nevertheless, males and females spent similar amounts of time defending the brood from predators and conspecifics. We suggest that the apparent division of parental roles may be explained by sexual selection, i.e. the remating opportunities for male Lapwings might be reduced if they increase their share in incubation. However, the different efficiency of care provision, for example in ability to defend offspring, may also influence the roles of the sexes in parental care.     

Biofeedback treatment of gastrointestinal disorders

Biofeedback has had a greater impact on gastroenterology than on any other medical subspeciality. Biofeedback is the treatment of choice for many of the most common types of fecal incontinence, and preliminary studies suggest that it is likely to become a preferred method for treating patients with constipation related to inability to relax the striated pelvic floor muscles during defecation. This dysfunction may account for up to 50% of patients with chronic constipation. Thermal biofeedback forms part of a multicomponent behavioral treatment for irritable bowel syndrome that is reported to be effective, and other promising applications of biofeedback for gastrointestinal disorders are under investigation.Supported by NIMH Research Scientist Award No. KO5 MH00133.     

The specialty of colon and rectal surgery: its impact on patient care and role in academic medicine

The specialty of colon and rectal surgery, a specialty of general surgery, has evolved from the field of proctology. Clinical care has demonstrated decreased number of patients requiring intestinal stomas, improved quality of life in patients with benign anorectal disorders, and more favorable results in patients afflicted with primary and recurrent colorectal cancer. Basic science investigations have spawned from clinical questions such as the molecular biology of colorectal cancer, use of cyclooxygenase inhibitors and polyp regression, and novel cytokine antagonists in inflammatory bowel disease. Medical students are exposed to surgeons with expertise in anorectal anatomy and physiology, mechanisms of carcinogenesis and the importance of screening for detection of colorectal cancer, and novel therapies for inflammatory bowel disease. Surgical residents benefit by having a colorectal surgeon on the faculty by repetitive exposure to anorectal surgery, low pelvic anastomoses, stoma creation and closure, and surgery involving the small intestine. Senior colorectal surgeons will develop critical pathways for the healthcare delivery of patients afflicted with colorectal disease. The specialty of colorectal surgery will continue to translate into improved patient care and positively impact in academic medicine by providing expertise into student and resident training and generate highly sophisticated clinical and basic science investigations.     

Prevalence of urinary incontinence.

The prevalence of urinary incontinence was investigated by determining the number of incontinent patients under the care of various health and social service agencies in two London boroughs and by a postal survey of the 22 430 people aged 5 years and over on the practice lists of 12 general practitioners in different parts of the country. The prevalence of incontinence known to the health and social service agencies was 0.2% in women and 0.1% in men aged 15-64 and 2.5% in women and 1.3% in men aged 65 and over. The postal survey, to which 89% of the people whose correct address was known replied, showed a prevalence of urinary incontinence of 8.5% in women and 1.6% in men aged 15-64 and 11.6% in women and 6.9% in men aged 65 and over. Nulliparous women had a lower prevalence than those who had had one, two, or three babies, but within the parity range of one to three there were no differences in prevalence. The prevalence was appreciably increased in women who had had four or more babies. Incontinence was moderate or severe in a fifth of those who reported it in the postal survey, of whom less than a third were receiving health or social services for the condition. Incontinence is a common symptom, and many unrecognised cases appear to exist. There may be considerable scope for improving its management.     

Pre-referral rectal artesunate in severe malaria: flawed trial

Introduction

Irritable bowel syndrome affects as many as 14% of high school-aged students. Symptoms include discomfort in the abdomen, along with diarrhea and/or constipation and other gastroenterological symptoms that can significantly impact quality of life and daily functioning. Emotional stress appears to exacerbate irritable bowel syndrome symptoms suggesting that mind-body interventions reducing arousal may prove beneficial. For many sufferers, symptoms can be traced to childhood and adolescence, making the early manifestation of irritable bowel syndrome important to understand. The current study will focus on young people aged 14-26 years with irritable bowel syndrome. The study will test the potential benefits of Iyengar yoga on clinical symptoms, psychospiritual functioning and visceral sensitivity. Yoga is thought to bring physical, psychological and spiritual benefits to practitioners and has been associated with reduced stress and pain. Through its focus on restoration and use of props, Iyengar yoga is especially designed to decrease arousal and promote psychospiritual resources in physically compromised individuals. An extensive and standardized teacher-training program support Iyengar yoga's reliability and safety. It is hypothesized that yoga will be feasible with less than 20% attrition; and the yoga group will demonstrate significantly improved outcomes compared to controls, with physiological and psychospiritual mechanisms contributing to improvements.

Methods/Design

Sixty irritable bowel syndrome patients aged 14-26 will be randomly assigned to a standardized 6-week twice weekly Iyengar yoga group-based program or a wait-list usual care control group. The groups will be compared on the primary clinical outcomes of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, quality of life and global improvement at post-treatment and 2-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes will include visceral pain sensitivity assessed with a standardized laboratory task (water load task), functional disability and psychospiritual variables including catastrophizing, self-efficacy, mood, acceptance and mindfulness. Mechanisms of action involved in the proposed beneficial effects of yoga upon clinical outcomes will be explored, and include the mediating effects of visceral sensitivity, increased psychospiritual resources, regulated autonomic nervous system responses and regulated hormonal stress response assessed via salivary cortisol.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01107977.     

Epidemiology of Pediatric Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders: A Meta-Analysis

ObjectiveWe aimed to review the literature regarding epidemiology of functional abdominal pain disorders in children and to assess its geographic, gender and age distribution including associated risk factors of developing functional abdominal pain.MethodsThe Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsychInfo databases were systematically searched up to February 2014. Study selection criteria included: (1) studies of birth cohort, school based or general population samples (2) containing data concerning epidemiology, prevalence or incidence (3) of children aged 4-18 years (4) suffering from functional abdominal pain. Quality of studies was rated by a self-made assessment tool. A random-effect meta-analysis model was used to estimate the prevalence of functional abdominal pain in childhood.ResultsA total of 58 articles, including 196,472 children were included. Worldwide pooled prevalence for functional abdominal pain disorders was 13.5% (95% CI 11.8-15.3), of which irritable bowel syndrome was reported most frequently (8.8%, 95% CI 6.2-11.9). The prevalence across studies ranged widely from 1.6% to 41.2%. Higher pooled prevalence rates were reported in South America (16.8%) and Asia (16.5%) compared to Europe (10.5%). And a higher pooled prevalence was reported when using the Rome III criteria (16.4%, 95% CI 13.5-19.4). Functional abdominal pain disorders are shown to occur significantly more in girls (15.9% vs. 11.5%, pooled OR 1.5) and is associated with the presence of anxiety and depressive disorders, stress and traumatic life events.ConclusionFunctional abdominal pain disorders are a common problem worldwide with irritable bowel syndrome as most encountered abdominal pain-related functional gastrointestinal disorder. Female gender, psychological disorders, stress and traumatic life events affect prevalence.     

The prevalence of scabies in Monrovia,Liberia: A population-based survey

Scabies is known to be a public health problem in many settings but the majority of recent data is from rural settings in the Pacific. There is a need for high quality data from sub-Saharan Africa and peri-urban settings to inform scale up of scabies control efforts. There have been anecdotal reports of scabies being a public health problem in Liberia but robust data are lacking. We conducted a cross-sectional cluster-randomised prevalence survey for scabies in a peri-urban community in Monrovia, Liberia in February-March 2020. Participants underwent a standardised examination conducted by trained local health care workers. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using age-appropriate versions of the dermatology life quality index (DLQI). Prevalence estimates were calculated accounting for clustering at community and household levels and associations with key demographic variables assessed through multivariable random-effects logistic regression. 1,318 participants from 477 households were surveyed. The prevalence of scabies was 9.3% (95% CI: 6.5–13.2%), across 75 (19.7%) households; impetigo or infected scabies prevalence was 0.8% (95% CI: 0.4–1.9%). The majority (52%) of scabies cases were classified as severe. Scabies prevalence was lower in females and higher in the youngest age group; no associations were found with other collected demographic or socio-economic variables. DLQI scores indicated a very or extremely large effect on HRQoL in 29% of adults and 18% of children diagnosed with scabies. Our study indicates a substantial burden of scabies in this peri-urban population in Liberia. This was associated with significant impact on quality of life, highlighting the need for action to control scabies in this population. Further work is needed to assess the impact of interventions in this context on both the prevalence of scabies and quality of life.     

Posttraumatic Stress Reactions in Parents of Children Esophageal Atresia

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate psychological stress in parents of children with esophageal atresia and to explore factors associated with the development of Posttraumatic Stress disorder (PTSD).

Design

Self-report questionnaires were administered to parents of children with EA. Domains included: (1) sociodemographic data, current personal difficulties, assessment scales for the quality of life and for the global health status of the child (2) French-validated versions of the Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress disorder Questionnaire and of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Associations between PTSD and severity of the neonatal course, presence of severe sequelae at 2 years of age, and quality of life and global health status of children according to their parents’ perception were studied.

Setting

A Tertiary care University Hospital

Results

Among 64 eligible families, 54 parents of 38 children (59%) participated to the study. PTSD was present in 32 (59%) parents; mothers were more frequently affected than fathers (69 vs 46%, p = 0.03). Four mothers (8%) had severe anxiety. PTSD was neither associated with neonatal severity nor with severe sequelae at 2 years. Parents with PTSD rated their child’s quality of life and global health status significantly lower (7.5 vs 8.6; p = 0.01 and 7.4 vs 8.3; p = 0.02 respectively).

Conclusions

PTSD is frequent in parents of children with esophageal atresia, independently of neonatal severity and presence of severe sequelae at 2 years of age. Our results highlight the need for a long-term psychological support of families.     

Rising incidence of insulin dependent diabetes in children aged under 5 years in the Oxford region: time trend analysis. The Bart's-Oxford Study Group.

OBJECTIVES: To monitor incidence of insulin dependent diabetes in children in Oxford health region since 1985, and to look for any evidence of disproportionate increase in children aged under 5. DESIGN: Primary ascertainment of cases of childhood diabetes was by prospective registration of all patients with insulin dependent diabetes diagnosed before age 15 years between 1985 and 1996 and resident in Oxford region at time of diagnosis. This was supplemented by examination of centralised hospital discharge records and death certificates. Secondary case ascertainment was by postal surveys of general practitioners in 1987 and 1996. SETTING: Area formerly administered by Oxford Regional Health Authority. SUBJECTS: 1037 children presenting with insulin dependent diabetes under age of 15 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of insulin dependent diabetes in children aged 0-4, 5-9, and 10-14 years during 1985-95. RESULTS: Overall incidence of diabetes in children aged 0-15 was 18.6 cases/100000/year and showed an annual increase of 4% from 1985 to 1996. This was mainly due to a rapid increase in children aged 0-4 years, in whom there was an annual increase of 11% (95% confidence interval 6% to 15%, P < 0.0001), while the annual increase in those aged 5-9 was 4% (0 to 7%, P = 0.05) and in those aged 10-14 was 1% (-2% to 4%, P = 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: Incidence of insulin dependent diabetes in children aged under 5 years has risen markedly in the Oxford region over the past decade. The cause of the increase is unknown, but environmental influences encountered before birth or in early postnatal life are likely to be responsible.     

Socio-economic inequity in demand for insecticide-treated nets, in-door residual house spraying, larviciding and fogging in Sudan

Background

Malaria continues to claim one to two million lives a year, mainly those of children in sub-Saharan Africa. Reduction in mortality depends, in part, on improving the quality of hospital care, the training of healthcare workers and improvements in public health. This study examined the prognostic indicators of severe falciparum malaria in Gabonese children.

Methods

An observational study examining the clinical presentations and laboratory features of severe malaria was conducted at the Centre Hospitalier de Libreville, Gabon over two years. Febrile children aged from 0 to 10 years with Plasmodium falciparum infection and one or more features of severe malaria were enrolled.

Results

Most children presenting with severe falciparum malaria were less than 5 years (92.3% of 583 cases). Anaemia was the most frequent feature of severe malaria (67.8% of cases), followed by respiratory distress (31%), cerebral malaria (24%) hyperlactataemia (16%) and then hypoglycaemia (10%). Anaemia was more common in children under 18 months old, while cerebral malaria usually occurred in those over 18 months. The overall case fatality rate was 9%. The prognostic indicators with the highest case fatality rates were coma/seizures, hyperlactataemia and hypoglycaemia, and the highest case fatality rate was in children with all three of these features.

Conclusions

Prompt and appropriate, classification and treatment of malaria helps identify the most severely ill children and aids early and appropriate management of the severely ill child.