title: Overdiagnosis and overtreatment of malaria in children in a secondary healthcare centre in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana.
abstract: Overdiagnosis and overtreatment of malaria is a major problem in children in malaria-endemic countries. This retrospective study identified children who were admitted with fever and were treated with or without anti-malarial medications and discharged at the Paediatric Unit of the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital. The medical records of all children were searched, retrieved and assessed. A total of 1160 records from children (age range, 0-12 years) were reviewed and evaluated. Of the total number, 21.3% had laboratory confirmed malaria, 38.4% were malaria negative, while 40.3% had no malaria tests performed. In addition, the results showed that 4.5% of the laboratory confirmed malaria positive cases were not given anti-malarial medication while 84.1% of the malaria negative cases were given these incorrectly. Furthermore, 78.2% of the children with no malaria tests were prescribed anti-malarial medication. The presumptive diagnosis of malaria should be abandoned and the installation of a functional laboratory services promoted.
authors.affiliation: Physician/Lecturer, Department of Internal Medicine, Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital Sekondi-Takoradi, Sekondi, Western Region, Ghana orishv@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Verner N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Orish
authors.affiliation: Physician, Department of Paediatrics, Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital Sekondi-Takoradi, Sekondi, Western Region, Ghana.
authors.forename: Joseph Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ansong
authors.affiliation: Physician, Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, The Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Onyekachi S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Onyeabor
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Microbiology, Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Saint James School of Medicine, Anguilla, British West Indies Associate Professor of Microbiology, ANDI Centre of Excellence for Malaria Diagnosis, WHO/TDR/FIND Malaria Specimen Bank Site, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Idi-araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Adekunle O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Sanyaolu
authors.affiliation: Professor of Parasitology, ANDI Centre of Excellence for Malaria Diagnosis, WHO/TDR/FIND Malaria Specimen Bank Site, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Idi-araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Wellington A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Oyibo
authors.affiliation: Principal Investigator, ANDI Centre of Excellence for Malaria Diagnosis, WHO/TDR/FIND Malaria Specimen Bank Site, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Idi-araba, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Nnaemeka C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Iriemenam
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology*; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D000069342:Medical Overuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D063728:Secondary Care Centers; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials
keywords: Overdiagnosis; children; healthcare; malaria; overtreatment