Keywords
severe malaria
child
prognosis
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction :
Severe malaria remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children in sub-Saharan Africa. Thrombocytopenia has been considered a factor increasing its lethality. The aim of this study was to determine the factors contributing to thrombocytopenia in severe malaria in the pediatric wards of Niamey's two national hospitals.
Material and method :
This was a cross-sectional study conducted from March 1 to September 30, 2022 (7 months) in the pediatric wards of the Hôpital National Amirou Boubacar Diallo and the Hôpital National de Niamey. It involved children aged 2 months to 15 years with severe malaria and no other associated conditions. Data were collected on a pre-established survey form. Proportions were compared using Fischer and Pearson tests. The association was significant when p was less than 0.05.
Results :
Of 1,388 patients admitted for malaria, 377 presented with severe malaria, representing a hospital frequency of 27.2%. Of these, 53.5% (n=200) had thrombocytopenia. The median platelet count was 70219/µl. Almost one child in three (33%) had severe thrombocytopenia. They ranged in age from 2 months to 15 years, with a sex ratio of 1.3. Factors associated with thrombocytopenia were parasite density (p = 0.000007), anemia (p = 0.0008) and coma (p = 0.01). It was not associated with mortality (p = 0.64).
Conclusion :
Thrombocytopenia is relatively common in severe malaria. Thrombocytopenia has little influence on morbidity and mortality in children. Its controversial prognosis may require multicenter studies to elucidate its impact on severe forms of malaria.
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Copyright (c) 2026 M Garba, S Aboubacar, A Georges Thomas, B Boulama Mamadou, A Yonli Oumpounini, M Kamaye, A Soumana