| 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 months, 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. As human immunodeficiency virus-1 and
bacteraemia promote reduced haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations, children with these
infections were excluded from the analyses. Children with P. falciparum mono-infections … | en_US |
