Table 1 Characteristics of patients with severe Plasmodium falciparum treated at the ICU with conventional treatment alone or with adjunctive automated RBC exchange

Median Age in years (range)

43 (1–64)

54 (30–71)

Sex (Male / female)

7 / 1

4 / 1

Median days on ICU (range)

6.5 (2–45)

7 (2–81)

Ethnicity

Caucasian

5

4

African

2

-

Middle East

1

1

Area of Infection (n)

Africa

7

5

Other

1 (Nicaragua)

-

Prophylaxis (n)

Yes

-

-

No

5

4

Not determined

3

1

Cerebral malaria (n)

6 (75 %)

3 (60 %)

Parasitaemia >10 % (n)

6 (75 %)

5 (100 %)

Mechanical ventilation (n)

5 (63 %)

2 (40 %)

Acute renal failure ¹ (n)

4 (50 %)

2 (40 %)

Norepinephrine demand (n)

4 (50 %)

4 (80 %)

Baseline laboratory parameters (median, range)

Haemoglobin (g/dl)

11.45 (4.9-16.1)

8.3 (5.7-12.6)

Platelets (G/l)

28.5 (14–50)

46 (15–82)

Lactate (mmol/l)

3.1 (2.2-5.02)

5.1 (2.3-12.9)

LDH (U/l)

779 (278–1392)

692.5 (340–1848)

Blood glucose (mg/dl)

123 (73–226)

85 (82–267)

Median APACHE II score (range)

17 (10–29)

26 (16–32)

Median SAPS II (range)

45 (34–93)

61 (39–78)

Treatment

Quinine + clindamycin

Quinine + clindamycin³

Total number of RBC exchanges (n)

0

7

 ·Patients with 1 RBC exchange

0

3

 ·Patients with 2 RBC exchanges

0

2

Adverse Events (moderate or sever intensity)

4

4

Adverse events related to RBC exchange

-

-

Unrelated adverse events

ARDS (n = 2)

ARDS (n = 1)

Septic shock (n = 1)

VAP (n = 1)

Retinopathy (n = 1)

Fungal sepsis (n = 1)

Increase of intracranial pressure (n = 1)

DIC (n = 1)

Pneumonia (n = 2)

Death (n = 1)

Delirium (n = 2)

DIC (n = 2)