A Retrospective Analysis of Outcome in Malaria Patients Admitted into a Multidisciplinary Intensive Care Unit of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

INTRODUCTION: Malaria is a significant public health problem with people worldwide at risk for the disease. It is a mosquito-borne disease causing high-grade fever, chills, and flu-like illness. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the case with severe malaria should be admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU). Severe malaria is a medical emergency and often managed in ICU with regard to the definition of hyperparasitemia. The WHO amended the criteria for definition of severe malaria in 2006, 2010, and 2015. METHODS: All patients had a full workup for fever that included three smears for malarial parasites, serology for dengue, leptospirosis, scrub typhus, enteric fever, blood, urine, sputum or endotracheal cultures, and other tests as clinically indicated. A diagnosis was made when a patient is tested positive for malarial antigen with a rapid diagnostic test and other causes of fever excluded. Patients were treated with intravenous Artesunate along with enteral Doxycycline. RESULTS: Of total patients, the vasopressor requirements being Dopamine (7.40%), nor adrenaline (7.40%) and vasopressin (3.70%). None received packed red blood cell transfusions, whereas 14.81% had platelet transfusions. 66.66% required Noninvasive ventilation, none required invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and both noninvasive and IMV. None of the patients had received hemodialysis. The mean duration of ICU and hospital stay was 4.14 and 6.26 days, respectively. No deaths were observed during the study period. CONCLUSION: In our study, we hereby conclude the incidence of clinical features is in agreement with other studies with no in-hospital mortality.