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Table 1 Characteristics and clinical presentation of patients at recruitment

From: An operational comparative study of quinine and artesunate for the treatment of severe malaria in hospitals and health centres in the Democratic Republic of Congo: the MATIAS study

 

Quinine (N = 399)

Artesunate (N = 350)

 

2–59 months (N = 248)

>5 years (N = 151)

2–59 months (N = 215)

>5 years (N = 135)

Sex

    

 Female

122 (49 %)

72 (48 %)

115 (53 %)

71 (53 %)

Age

24 (7–53)

10 (5–48)

24 (7–48)

8 (5–48)

Medical history (past 30 days)

    

 Other malaria episode

18 (7 %)

7 (5 %)

16 (7 %)

16 (12 %)

 Fever (N = 398)

90 (37 %)

78 (52 %)

59 (27 %)

76 (56 %)

 Pretreatment with anti-malarial

31 (12 %)

20 (13 %)

20 (9 %)

20 (15 %)

 Other treatment(s) received

113 (46 %)

75 (50 %)

98 (46 %)

83 (61 %)

 Other major health problem(s)

6 (2 %)

3 (2 %)

0 (0 %)

4 (3 %)

 Episode of convulsion (N = 394)

34 (14 %)

10 (7 %)

13 (6 %)

11 (8 %)

 Known hypersensitivity to other drugs

0 (0 %)

5 (3 %)

2 (1 %)

5 (7 %)

Signs and symptoms on admission

    

 Fever

220 (89 %)

129 (85 %)

197 (92 %)

121 (90 %)

 Fever before enrolment (days and range)

3 (2–4)

3 (2–5)

3 (1–7)

3 (1–7)

 Vomiting

100 (40 %)

78 (52 %)

113 (53 %)

78 (58 %)

 Coma

23 (9 %)

12 (8 %)

5 (2 %)

11 (8 %)

 Reported convulsions

72 (29 %)

19 (13 %)

59 (27 %)

14 (10 %)

 Blantyre coma score (8–24 months)

3 (2–5)

4 (3–8)

 Glasgow coma score (>2 years)

10.5 (5–13)

10 (8–15)

7.5 (4–5)

NA

 Pallor

NA

NA

77 (36 %)

20 (15 %)

 Jaundice

3 (1 %)

4 (3 %)

7 (3 %)

2 (1 %)

 Shock

10 (4 %)

2 (1 %)

2 (1 %)

2 (1 %)

 Respiratory distress

128 (52 %)

58 (38 %)

96 (45 %)

64 (47 %)

 Severe anaemia (<5 g/dl) (N = 326 Q; 334 A)

8.1 (3 %) a

9.1 (2 %) a

15 (7 %) b

1 (1 %) b

Parasite count (per μl); geometric mean (95 % CI)

17 068 (12 119-24 038) c

12 022 (7 040-20 527) c

22 289 (15 498-32 057) c

12 346 (7 812-19 511) c

 Prostration

204 (82 %)

122 (81 %)

171 (79 %)

120 (89 %)

 Urine colouration (N = 391)

2 (1 %)

2 (1 %)

10 (5 %)

8 (6 %)

Clinical examination on admission

    

 Weight (kg and SD)

11.1 (3.0)

33.2 (17)

11.2 (4)

27.6 (15)

 Temperature (°C and SD) (N = 398)

38.1 (1)

38.3 (1)

38.1 (1)

38.4 (1)

 Pulse

125 (70–180)

102 (64–148)

119 (60–171)

94 (60–140)

 Respiratory rate per minute

42.5 (28–72)

39.0 (24–60)

40 (24–72)

40 (20–58)

Co-morbidity

82 (34 %)

51 (34 %)

80 (37 %)

58 (43 %)

  1. Data are summarized as numbers (%), median (90 % central range) or mean (SD)
  2. NA not available
  3. a Clinical assessment only
  4. b HemoCue
  5. c The initial parasitaemia was calculated only for those patients for whom the biological confirmation was done by thick blood smear