Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39920795›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2025

Epidemiology, clinical spectrum, and outcomes of severe malaria in Eastern Uganda: a prospective study.

Cate Namayanja, George Paasi, Jimmy Patrick Alunyo, Denis Amorut, Charles Benard Okalebo, William Okiror, Paul Ongodia, Grace Abongo, Rita Muhindo, Yovani A M Lubaale and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Malaria journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Cate NamayanjaMbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda.
George PaasiMbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda.
Jimmy Patrick AlunyoMbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda.
Denis AmorutMbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda.
Charles Benard OkaleboMbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda.
William OkirorMbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda.
Paul OngodiaMbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda.
Grace AbongoMbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda.
Rita MuhindoMbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda.
Yovani A M LubaaleDepartment of Public Health, Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 1966, Mbale, Uganda.
Peter Olupot-OlupotMbale Clinical Research Institute, Mbale, Uganda. polupotolupot@yahoo.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn sub-Saharan Africa, malaria remains a public health problem despite some reports of declining incidence in the period 2000-2018. Since 2019, there have been some reports of disease epidemics and resurgences in areas that had registered steep declines and unusual clinical presentations. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology, clinical spectrum, and outcomes of severe malaria in children among malaria-endemic Eastern Uganda, a region that has recently experienced disease epidemics.

methodsThis prospective study was conducted at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda, from 08th May 2019 to August 15, 2023, as part of the Malaria Epidemiological, Pathophysiological and Intervention studies in Highly Endemic Eastern Uganda (EDCTP-TMA2016SF-1514-MEPIE Study). Children aged 60 days to 12 years who at admission tested positive for malaria and fulfilled the clinical World Health Organization criteria for surveillance of severe malaria were enrolled into the study following appropriate informed consent. Data were collected using a customized proforma on social demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes. Laboratory analyses included complete blood counts, lactate, glucose, blood gases, electrolytes, metabolites, and coagulation markers. In addition, urinalysis using dipsticks was done. Data were analysed using STATA V15. The study had ethical and regulatory approval before data collection commenced.

resultsA total of 1,379 participants were recruited. The median age was 4 years (2 months-12 years). Most children 757/1379 (54.9%) were under 5 years, and 825/1379 (59.8%) were males. The common symptoms were fever 1368 (99.2%), poor appetite 1095 (79.5%), inability to sit upright 1051 (76.2%), vomiting 944 (68.4%) and yellow eyes 833 (60.4%). The common signs included prostration, haemoglobinuria and jaundice. Prolonged hospitalization was found in 284/1339 (21.2%) and was associated with impaired consciousness 116/166 (30.1%), P = 0.003; haemoglobinuria 514/705 (27.1%), P < 0.001 and jaundice 505/690 (26.8%) P < 0.001. The overall mortality was 40/1347 (3.0%). Children who had > 1 severity feature were at a higher risk of mortality.

conclusionIn this prospective study of children with severe malaria in Eastern Uganda, the overall mortality was 3.0% and the more the disease clinical syndromes the higher the risk of death.

Indexed as

MalariaMalaria, FalciparumChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansIncidenceInfantMaleProspective StudiesUgandaChildClinical spectrumMortalityProlonged hospitalisationSevere malaria

Identifiers

PMID39920795
PMCPMC11806871

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.