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[Cerebral malaria in children in Yaounde, Cameroon. Clinical, paraclinical and developmental aspects]
P F Tchokoteu1, D Poka, A Same Ekobo
1Service de Pédiatrie, Hôpital Général de Yaoundé, Cameroun.
Insights
Cerebral malaria in children is a severe complication of malaria. Delayed diagnosis and treatment with quinine in Yaounde negatively impacted patient outcomes, leading to neurological issues and fatalities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurology
Context:
- Cerebral malaria presents a significant mortality risk, especially in Cameroonian children.
- Severe malaria cases are rising in Cameroon, necessitating urgent clinical understanding.
Purpose:
- To detail the clinical and laboratory features of pediatric cerebral malaria in Yaounde.
- To identify factors influencing cerebral malaria prognosis in children.
Summary:
- The study analyzed 36 pediatric cerebral malaria cases at Yaounde Central Hospital.
- Key symptoms included convulsions and coma (over 90%), with a median parasite load of 1.3%.
- Neurological sequelae affected 16.7%, and 5.6% of children died, with delayed quinine treatment worsening outcomes.
Impact:
- Highlights the critical need for prompt diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cerebral malaria.
- Informs clinical practice and public health strategies to mitigate cerebral malaria's impact in endemic regions.
Abstract:
Cerebral malaria is one of the major and deadly complications of malaria. In Cameroon, recent reports indicate that severe cases of malaria are increasingly more prevalent, particularly in children. The present study aims at describing the clinical presentation and laboratory findings of cerebral malaria in children in Yaounde. All patients admitted in the paediatric ward of Yaounde Central Hospital with malaria, who presented neurological signs and were tested positive for Plasmodium in their peripheral blood were recruited into the study. 36 cases were enrolled in all, making up 2.7% of all admissions. The patients' median age was 4.5 years. 52.8% were on malaria prophylaxis. Convulsions and coma with preceding hyperthermia were present in more than 90% of the patients. Blood parasites level median was 1.3% on admission. One patient had hypoglycaemia on admission and two others had it later on after admission; 16.7% had neurological sequels at discharge and two children died (5.6%). Delay in diagnosis and initiation of treatment with quinine adversely affected the prognosis of cerebral malaria in the study group.