title: Severe Falciparum Malaria-Difference in Mortality among Male and Nonpregnant Females.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are many studies regarding the gender difference in severe falciparum malaria. But most of these studies indeed refer to pregnant females only. There are scanty and conflicting reports regarding the mortality trend in nonpregnant females.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a case control study which is open, single centre, single blind, prospective and interventional study. SPSS 19 was used at the end of the study for all statistical analysis. Student's t-test was used for nominal variables and chi-squared test was used for categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean pre hospitalization illness period is significantly lower in females. Incidence of convulsion is significantly higher in females. The mean haemoglobin concentration in females is significantly lower. The mortality in females is significantly higher. Females over 40 years have higher mortality than females less than 40 years and also males over 40 years. Shock in female was associated with significantly high mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mortality in females is significantly higher in males. The females had lower haemoglobin level and increased incidence of convulsion than their male counterparts. Shock in females has significantly higher mortality. So prompt treatment can save many lives. The increased mortality in females cannot be explained by relative inaccessibility of females to health care system as previously explained, because they have reached hospital earlier than males. Causes of shock and their association with increased mortality in females need further studies.
authors: Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, AIIMS Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India .
authors: Khadanga
authors: K
authors: S
authors: Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, SCB Medical College , Cuttack, Odisha, India .
authors: Thatoi
authors: T
authors: P K
authors: Professor, Department of Medicine, VSS medical College , Cuttack, Odisha, India .
authors: Mohapatra
authors: M
authors: B N
authors: Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, SCB Medical College , Cuttack, Odisha, India .
authors: Mohapatra
authors: M
authors: N
authors: Professor and Head, Department of Medicine, SCB Medical College , Cuttack, Odisha, India.
authors: Mohanty
authors: M
authors: Cbk
authors: Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, AIIMS Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India .
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Karuna
keywords: Acute renal failure; Acute respiratory distress syndrome; Falciparum malaria; Multi organ dysfunction syndrome
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