Manual blood exchange transfusion does not significantly contribute to parasite clearance in artesunate-treated individuals with imported severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria

Table 2 Mixed effects modelling of the time course of the parasite count in severe P. falciparum malaria

Parameter	Estimate	SE	P-value
Y-axis intercept	5.224	0.102	<0.001
(log initial parasitaemia (LogP ₀ ) /μl)	5.224	0.102	<0.001
Adjunct treatment	−0.466	0.124	<0.001 ^§
(no exchange transfusion)	−0.466	0.124	<0.001 ^§
Treatment mode	−0.146	0.137	0.289
(artesunate)	−0.146	0.137	0.289
Parasite elimination rate constant (/h)	−0.041	0.002	<0.001
(parasite clearance time) ^@	−0.041	0.002	<0.001
Adjunct treatment	0.004	0.003	0.242 ^#
(no exchange transfusion)	0.004	0.003	0.242 ^#
Treatment mode (artesunate)	−0.023	0.004	<0.001*

There was no difference in initial parasitaemia between artesunate and quinine patients, but ^§patients receiving exchange transfusion had higher initial parasitaemia than patients not receiving exchange transfusion. *artesunate had a significant effect on parasite clearance compared to quinine, ^#while institution of exchange transfusion had no significant effect on parasite clearance. ^@fixed effect: LogP ~ t , which reads as LogP(t) = Intercept + k.LogP₀.