Association of malarial parasitaemia with dehydrating diarrhoea in Nigerian children.
Records of 402 children--216 (53.7%) males and 186 (46.3%) females--aged 1-36 month(s), admitted to the Diarrhoea Treatment and Training Unit of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin city, Nigeria, during July 1993-June 1996, were reviewed to document the relationship between dehydration and malaria parasitaemia. There was a significant association between severity of dehydration and malaria parasitaemia (p < 0.0001). Association of parasitaemia (p < 0.006) with dehydration (p < 0.0001) was significantly more marked in patients with acute watery diarrhoea than in those with persistent and bloody diarrhoea. Parasitaemia was demonstrated in 50.5% of those not initially suspected to have malaria. Parasitaemia was also significantly associated with fever (p < 0.001) and fever coexisting with vomiting (p < 0.01). The prevalence of malaria-associated diarrhoea was 61.7%. More infants (75.6%) than older children had diarrhoea. It was concluded that the prevalence of malaria-associated diarrhoea was high and that children with dehydration are more likely to manifest malaria parasitaemia.
Ibadin
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OM
Department of Child Health, University of Benin, Nigeria. yeleabi@uniben.edu.ng
Airauhi
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Omoigberale
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Abiodun
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D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003681:Dehydration / Q000209:etiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000150:complications*; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index