Watson, James A;
Uyoga, Sophie;
Wanjiku, Perpetual;
Makale, Johnstone;
Nyutu, Gideon M;
Mturi, Neema;
George, Elizabeth C;
... White, Nicholas J; + view all
(2022)
Improving the diagnosis of severe malaria in African children using platelet counts and plasma PfHRP2 concentrations.
Science Translational Medicine
, 14
(654)
, Article eabn5040. 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn5040.
Preview |
Text (Article)
George_Watson_main_text.pdf - Accepted Version Download (202kB) | Preview |
![[thumbnail of Figures and supplementary figures]](https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/style/images/fileicons/text.png) |
Text (Figures and supplementary figures)
George_Figures_and_supplementaryFigs.zip - Accepted Version Download (7MB) |
Abstract
Severe malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is difficult to diagnose accurately in children in high-transmission settings. Using data from 2649 pediatric and adult patients enrolled in four studies of severe illness in three countries (Bangladesh, Kenya, and Uganda), we fitted Bayesian latent class models using two diagnostic markers: the platelet count and the plasma concentration of P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2). In severely ill patients with clinical features consistent with severe malaria, the combination of a platelet count of ≤150,000/μl and a plasma PfHRP2 concentration of ≥1000 ng/ml had an estimated sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 93% in identifying severe falciparum malaria. Compared with misdiagnosed children, pediatric patients with true severe malaria had higher parasite densities, lower hematocrits, lower rates of invasive bacterial disease, and a lower prevalence of both sickle cell trait and sickle cell anemia. We estimate that one-third of the children enrolled into clinical studies of severe malaria in high-transmission settings in Africa had another cause of their severe illness.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Improving the diagnosis of severe malaria in African children using platelet counts and plasma PfHRP2 concentrations |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn5040 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn5040 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Inst of Clinical Trials and Methodology > MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Inst of Clinical Trials and Methodology UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10152605 |
Archive Staff Only
 |
View Item |
