| dc.description.abstract | Severe malarial anaemia (SMA) is a common complication of Plasmodium falciparum
infections, resulting in mortality rates that may exceed 30% in paediatric populations
residing in holoendemic transmission areas. One strategy for reducing the morbidity and
mortality associated with SMA is to identify clinical predictors that can be readily recognized
by caregivers for prompt therapeutic interventions. To determine clinical predictors of SMA,
Kenyan children (3-36 mos., n= 671) presenting with acute illness at a rural hospital in Siaya
District were recruited. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and haematological parameters
were measured upon enrolment. Since HIV-1 and bacteraemia promote reduced
haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations, children with these infections were excluded from the
analyses. Children with P. falciparum mono-infections (n= 355) were stratified into three … | en_US |
