Articles: malaria-complications.
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One of the major causes of anemia, defined as the reduction in the level of hemoglobin or red blood cells (RBCs) in the blood, in children in sub-Saharan Africa is malaria. Anemia is diagnosed by using either the hematocrit method or by measuring the hemoglobin concentration. ⋯ The three-fold hematocrit conversion of hemoglobin estimation is a less reliable method than the measured hemoglobin in anemic children in the study setting.
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Pediatr Crit Care Me · Mar 2018
Observational StudyAssessment of Myocardial Function and Injury by Echocardiography and Cardiac Biomarkers in African Children With Severe Plasmodium falciparum Malaria.
Perturbed hemodynamic function complicates severe malaria. The Fluid Expansion as Supportive Therapy trial demonstrated that fluid resuscitation, involving children with severe malaria, was associated with increased mortality, primarily due to cardiovascular collapse, suggesting that myocardial dysfunction may have a role. The aim of this study was to characterize cardiac function in children with severe malaria. ⋯ Elevation of cardiac index, due to increased stroke volume, in severe malaria is a physiologic response to circulatory compromise and correlates with anemia. Following whole blood transfusion and antimalarial therapy, cardiac index in severe malarial anemia returns to normal. The majority (> 96%) of children with severe malaria have preserved myocardial systolic function. Although there is evidence for myocardial injury (elevated cardiac troponin I), this does not correlate with cardiac dysfunction.