Treatment outcomes and associated factors in severe malaria patients at University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia: A retrospective study (2020-2023).

BACKGROUND

Malaria continues to be the most prevalent life-threatening parasitic illness in Ethiopia. Its clinical spectrum ranges from mild to severe, with a propensity for death. In Ethiopia, it accounts for 10% of hospital admission. Identifying predictors of malaria-related mortality is crucial for aiding high-risk patient identification and enabling timely intervention.

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to assess treatment outcomes and factors associated with mortality among severe malaria patients at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional study examined 383 randomly chosen patients with severe malaria, spanning a four-year period leading up to the data collection date, encompassing July 2023 back to June 2020. Data were collected from the hospital records. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. EpiData version 3.1 and SPSS version 20 were used to clean and analyze the data, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine associations and reported by the odds ratio at p < 0.05 with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

Among the 383 eligible patients, the majorities were males (56.66%) and resided in rural areas (66.32%). Over 84% of them were referred from health facilities. Plasmodium falciparum was the major parasite identified in 78% of cases. The magnitude of death among severe malaria patients was 10.97%. Impaired consciousness, convulsions, jaundice, parasitemia level >2, and creatinine level ≥3 were significantly associated with death, with adjusted odds ratios (AOR) of 3.4 (95% CI: 1.3-8.3), 2.7 (95% CI: 1.004-7.492), 3.2 (95% CI: 1.173-9.182), 3.7 (95% CI: 1.516-9.113), and 11.7 (95% CI: 4.756-29.239), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed a significant number of malaria-related deaths, with predictors such as age, impaired consciousness, convulsions, jaundice, parasitemia level, and creatinine level identified. Hence, it is imperative to implement intense and timely interventions for patients exhibiting these clinical manifestations to prevent malaria-related fatalities.