[Prognostic factors in malaria tropica--results of a 1963-1988 evaluation study in Germany]

A retrospective study was performed on all cases of malaria recorded in the Federal Republic of Germany between 1963 and 1988. The questionnaires evaluated by the Federal Bureau of Public Health showed a total of 8049 cases, of which 3991 concerned malaria tropica, and 173 deaths. During this 26-year period, 90% of the patients suffering from malaria tropica had contracted the disease in Africa. Deaths from malaria had shown a constant figure of almost 10% between 1963 and 1978, but after that there was a distinct drop. Differentiated analysis revealed that between 1979 and 1988 the death rate for malaria tropica acquired in Africa had been 3.3%. This was clearly dependent on chemoprophylaxis behaviour, on the time of initiation of treatment and on the age of the patients; if tablets were taken regularly, the death rate was 2.3%, rising to 3.1% on irregular intake and to 5.4% without chemoprophylaxis. If therapeutic measures were initiated on the 1st to 5th day of onset, the death rate was 0.6%, on the 6th to 10th day 2.4%, on the 11th to 15th day 2.5% and on the 16th to 20th day 16.7%. In the age group between 60 and over 60 years the lethality was 15.9%. In the course of this study the authors worked out a new malaria questionnaire for the Federal Bureau of Public Health.