Clinical manifestation of severe malaria in Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital Yola, Nigeria

Abstract

Severe malaria is a medical emergency that poses a significant threat to life, necessitating immediate and efficient treatment to prevent death. It continues to be a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the prevalence and presentation patterns can differ significantly between various locations and across different age groups. The objective of the study was to review the prevalence and clinical manifestations of severe malaria among patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Yola, Northeast Nigeria. A descriptive retrospective study of severe malaria cases over a 4-year period. Case notes of patients admitted into all the emergency units of Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola with severe malaria were retrieved and reviewed. Information sought include age, gender, presenting symptoms, features of severe malaria, and methods of diagnosis and treatment. Result obtained indicate 406 (5.6%) patients had severe malaria, males were 211 (57.3%) while females were 157 (42.7%) with males to female (m:f) ratio of 1.7:1. Majority of the patients were less than 5 years (179; [48.6%]) while adults (18years and above) were 13 (3.5%). The most frequent symptoms were fever, convulsion and looking pale while the most common presentation of severe malaria were multiple convulsions, coma and prostration. The majority of the study population are children less than 5 years old, with multiple convulsions, coma and prostration as the most common clinical presentation. These results highlight the necessity for focused interventions to reduce the burden of severe malaria.