Severe malarial infection in adults aged over 18 years: one-year experience

The severe malarial forms are the main cause of admission to ICU in the majority of African countries, therefore, a cross-sectional descriptive trial was carried out in Meditex Clic in Luanda (January-December 2004) to evaluate the organs mostly affected and how the level of parasitemia influence them. Seriously-ill patients aged over 18 years, with Apache II score exceeding 20 points in Apache II score were included Once the most frequent severe forms of presentation and their association with the level of parasitemia were known, then common complications and mortality were evaluated. Clinical cerebral form (42.2%) prevailed, with the lowest parasitemia on admission, that is below 1000 x mm (68.2%), p < 0.005. A great deal of patients suffered reduced fluid volume as a complication resulting from fluid deficit, which clinically overcome after corrective actions based on fluid intake. The mortality rate observed in this study was lower than that reported by other trials. It was concluded that brain and hepatic effects are the most serious and frequent forms of presentation, with no association with the parasitemia level on admission.