Impact of Home Treatment with Chloroquine on Severe Malaria in Children
Author Information
Author(s): Orimadegun Adebola E, Amodu Olukemi K, Olumese Peter E, Omotade Olayemi O
Primary Institution: Institute of Child Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Hypothesis
Does pre-hospital use of antimalarial drugs affect the outcome of severe malaria in children?
Conclusion
Home treatment with chloroquine significantly worsens the outcome of severe malaria in children.
Supporting Evidence
- Chloroquine was the most commonly used antimalarial, accounting for 54.2% of treatments.
- The risk of presenting as cerebral malaria was 1.63 times higher with pre-hospital use of chloroquine.
- Children treated with chloroquine at home had a four-fold increase in mortality risk.
Takeaway
Giving children chloroquine at home for malaria can make them sicker and increase the chance of dying.
Methodology
The study enrolled 268 children with severe malaria and collected data on their treatment history and clinical outcomes.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in self-reported treatment histories from caregivers.
Limitations
The study may not account for all confounding factors affecting treatment outcomes.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 5 months to 10 years, with a median age of 30 months; 57.8% male.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.05
Confidence Interval
1.39, 11.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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