Imported malaria in the 1990s: a review of 101 patients.
Imported malaria remains a difficult problem in nonendemic areas of the world. We describe the clinical presentation of 101 cases of malaria diagnosed at the Leuven University Hospital between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 1999. Ninety-three patients (92%) presented initially at the emergency department. Diagnosis was initially not suspected by the referring physician in 48 patients (47%). Plasmodium falciparum was the commonest species, accounting for 67% of the cases. All but three patients had fever as the presenting symptom, but only 10 had a typical tertian fever pattern. Haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopenia and hyponatraemia represented a typical triad in 20% of the cases. Only 13% of the malaria patients had taken correct chemoprophylaxis according to WHO recommendations. Eighty-three per cent of the patients were admitted to the hospital with a median duration of hospitalization of 4 days. All complications occurred in cases with P. falciparum. All patients were cured.
Kockaerts
Y
Y
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
Vanhees
S
S
Knockaert
D C
DC
Verhaegen
J
J
Lontie
M
M
Peetermans
W E
WE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014195:Travel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D000962:Antimalarials