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Published on: June 8, 2017

Lactic acidosis in Gabonese children with severe malaria is unrelated to dehydration

J N Jarvis1, T Planche, T Bicanic

  • 1Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Infectious Diseases, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, United Kingdom.

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|May 18, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Severe malaria in children did not show significant changes in fluid compartment volumes, indicating no major volume depletion. These fluid shifts are unlikely to be physiologically significant in severe malaria.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Malariology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Hyperlactatemia is a frequent complication of severe malaria.
  • Fluid compartment volume changes are common in severe illness.
  • Bioimpedance analysis is a tool to assess body water volumes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate fluid compartment volume changes in children with severe malaria.
  • To compare these changes with other conditions like moderate malaria, respiratory tract infection, and severe diarrhea.
  • To explore the relationship between lactatemia and fluid volume alterations.

Main Methods:

  • Bioimpedance analysis was used to estimate extracellular water and total body water volumes.
  • A total of 180 children were studied, including 56 with severe malaria.
  • Control groups included children with moderate malaria, respiratory tract infection, and severe diarrhea.

Main Results:

  • Patients with severe malaria showed a mean decrease in total body water volume (3%).
  • No increase in extracellular water volume was observed in severe malaria patients, suggesting no significant intravascular volume depletion.
  • No correlation was found between lactatemia and changes in fluid compartment volumes.

Conclusions:

  • Observed fluid volume changes in severe malaria are likely not physiologically significant.
  • The findings suggest that significant intravascular volume depletion is not a primary feature of severe malaria.
  • Further research may be needed to fully elucidate the role of fluid shifts in malaria pathophysiology.
Abstract

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