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Table 4 Characteristics and outcomes for patients who completed the exit interview—Southern Malawi, 2015

From: Health worker adherence to malaria treatment guidelines at outpatient health facilities in southern Malawi following implementation of universal access to diagnostic testing

 

n/N

Weighted percent (95% CI)

Demographics (years)

 <5 

723/2342

28.3 (21.8, 34.8)

 ≥5 

1619/2342

71.7 (65.2, 78.2)

Suspect malaria classification

 Suspect malaria cases (both uncomplicated and severe)

1695/2342

73.4 (70.2, 76.6)

 Suspect uncomplicated malaria

1605/1695

95.4 (94.2, 96.6)

 Suspect severe malaria

90/1695

4.6 (3.4, 5.8)

Symptoms spontaneously reported to HW by suspect malaria patients

 Fever

1146/1695

68.5 (64.0, 73.0)

 When patient did not spontaneously report fever, HW asked about fever

295/549

51.6 (46.0, 57.2)

 Headache

553/1695

33.4 (28.6, 38.2)

 Vomiting

284/1695

16.9 (14.3, 19.5)

 Skin problem

99/1695

5.5 (3.9, 6.9)

Testing for suspect uncomplicated malaria patients who attended HFs with diagnostic tests

 Tested by either microscopy or RDT

1072/1427

75.7 (68.9, 82.5)

 Positive RDT or microscopy

547/1072

53.2 (46.0, 60.4)

Medications administered, prescribed or dispensed to confirmed uncomplicated malaria patients

 Treated with first- or second-line antimalarial (AM)a

511/547

92.7 (85.4, 99.9)

 Treated with other anti-malarialb

12/547

4.7 (0.0, 11.9)

 No anti-malarial

24/547

2.6 (1.2, 4.0)

Medications administered, prescribed or dispensed to presumed uncomplicated malaria patients

 Treated with first- or second-line AMa

98/178

60.3 (45.1, 75.5)

 Treated with other anti-malarialc

5/178

2.8 (0.0, 8.3)

 No anti-malarial

75/178

36.8 (22.8, 50.8)

Suspect severe malaria

 Received recommended pre-referral anti-malariald

8/90

5.7 (0.3, 11.0)

 Referred or told to get in-patient admission right away

11/90

6.9 (1.9, 11.9)

 Received pre-referral anti-malarial plus immediate referral/admission

3/90

1.6 (0.0, 3.6)

 Treated with other anti-malariale

46/90

59.6 (46.4, 72.8)

 No anti-malarial

36/90

34.7 (22.4, 47.0)

  1. aFirst- or second-line AM refers to artemether-lumefantrine (AL) or artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) for all except pregnant women in first trimester and children weighing <5 kg who get quinine. Numerator includes eight confirmed malaria patients who got both AL and intramuscular (IM) quinine and one confirmed malaria patient who got both AL and IM artesunate
  2. bOral quinine (n = 6), IM quinine (n = 3), AL to women in first trimester (n = 2), SP (n = 1)
  3. cAll given sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) none of whom was pregnant
  4. dThree received IM artesunate, five received IM quinine
  5. e42 patients received only AL, one received both AL and SP, one received ASAQ and two received oral quinine
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Malaria Journal

ISSN: 1475-2875

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