Table 1

Characteristics of hypoglycaemic children (BGC < 60 mg/dl) on admission to Sikasso paediatric ward


Sublingual Sugar (SLS)
n = 14
(95%CI)
Intravenous Glucose (IVG)
n = 9
(95%CI)

Sex (% F)
29
44
Mean age (months)
26.7 (19.8–33.7)
34.3 (5.8–62.8)
Mean weight (kg)
10.8 (9.4–12.7)
10.1 (6.9–13.1)
Duration of illness before presentation (days)
2.55 (1.4–4.1)
2.79 (1.8–3.1)
Coma£
2 (14%)
5 (56%)
Prostration (%)
12 (86%)
7 (78%)
Convulsions (%)
3 (21%)
1 (11%)
Respiratory distress (%)
7 (50%)
5 (56%)
Splenomegaly (%)
4 (29%)
4 (44%)
Malnutrition (%)*
1 (7%)
0
Mean temperature °C
38.9 (38.3–39.3)
38.3 (37.2–39.3)
Mean glycaemia (mg/dl)
46.5 (40.7–52.2)
45.0 (36.0–53.9)
Number of children with BGC < 40 mg/dl (< 2.2 mmol/l)
3 (21%)
2 (22%)
Number of children with BGC < 54 mg/dl (< 3.0 mml/L)
10 (71%)
6 (79%)
Thick film positive for P. falciparum (%)
11 (79%)
8 (89%)

£ p = 0.06, The mean blood glucose was 50.0 and 47.6 mg/dl in the comatose children in groups SLS and IVG, respectively.

* underweight: weight for age below 2 standard deviation

Graz et al. Malaria Journal 2008 7:242   doi:10.1186/1475-2875-7-242