Low frequency of complications in imported falciparum malaria: a review of 222 cases in south-eastern Norway.
Scand J Infect Dis
; 31(1): 73-8, 1999.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10381222
ABSTRACT
We performed a retrospective study of 222 cases of falciparum malaria diagnosed in Oslo and Akerhus counties, Norway, from January 1988 to December 1997. Except for 12 cases, all had acquired the disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Sixty-four (28.8%) cases occurred in assumed non-immune individuals; of these, 41 (64.1%) were compliant to recommended antimalarial chemoprophylaxis. The mean time lag from first symptom to diagnosis (total diagnosis delay) was 4.6 d (median 3 d, range 0-30 d) and the mean time from presentation to diagnosis (doctor's delay) was 1.3 d (median 0 d, range 0-25 d). There were no fatal cases, and only 8 (3.6%) had a complicated course. The following factors were significantly associated with development of complicated disease higher age, non-immunity combined with chemoprophylaxis non-compliance, prolonged doctor's delay and prolonged total diagnosis delay (p < or = 0.05). Our data suggest that complicated disease in imported falciparum malaria may largely be prevented by high chemoprophylaxis compliance rates in non-immune travellers and a high index of suspicion in physicians evaluating febrile travellers.
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Malaria, Falciparum
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Incidence_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Aged
/
Animals
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
/
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
Scand J Infect Dis
Year:
1999
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: