Factors associated with severe anaemia in Zambian children admitted with Plasmodium falciparum malarial anaemia.
Many cases of severe malarial anaemia are clinically stable, but some can deteriorate rapidly. In a cross-sectional survey of 255 children with clinically stable malarial anaemia, 72 had severe anaemia (PCV < or = 15%) and 183 were moderately anaemic (PCV < 15-21%). Being female, or febrile, or a referral and having low parasitaemia or hepatomegaly were the risk factors for severe anaemia.
Mulenga
Modest
M
Tropical Diseases Research Centre, Ndola, Zambia. modest.mulenga@lshtm.ac.uk
Malunga
Phidelis
P
Bennett
Steve
S
Thuma
Philip E
PE
Shulman
Caroline
C
Fielding
Katherine
K
Greenwood
Brian M
BM
D000740:Anemia / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006400:Hematocrit; D006529:Hepatomegaly / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications*; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000469:parasitology; D018512:Parasitemia; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum; D012307:Risk Factors; D015024:Zambia