Mortality in Malaria: Intensive Care (MIMIC).

Background: While global incidence of malaria has fallen in last decade, it continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity in acutely ill febrile patients. Many patients with complicated malaria require ICU care. In past it was believed that vivax is a benign form of malaria, but now all complications of malaria are reported in vivax. .

Aims and Objectives: 1. To find out proportion of patients with plasmodium vivax and plasmodium falciparum malaria requiring treatment in Medical ICU. 2. To compare clinical profile and severity of illness in these patients. 3. To study treatment received including organ support requirement in these patients and compare outcome in patients with vivax and falciparum malaria.

Results: During study period total 932 patients were diagnosed as confirmed malaria (601 vivax, 240 falciparum and 91 mixed) and 107 (vivax 74, falciparum 20, mixed 13) required ICU admission. Common symptoms observed apart from fever were, oliguria (48), dyspnea(41), bleeding (29), hemoptysis (15) and petechial rash (13). Mean BUN and creatinine and PT INR of falciparum/mixed malaria patients was significantly higher and HCO3 and pH significantly lower than vivax patients. But PaO2/FiO2 of vivax patient was significantly lower as compared falciparum/mixed patients. There was no significant difference between two groups with regards to requirement of supportive treatment like inotropes (11/70 vs 5/30, p=0.858), mechanical ventilation (28/70 vs 7/30, p=0.17), platelet transfusion (24/70 vs 9/30, p=0.853) and renal replacement therapy (5/70 vs 3/30 p=0.936). Out of 100 patients, 21 patients expired. Mortality in mixed malaria group (4/12, 33.3%) and vivax group ( 16/70, 22.9%) was more as compared to falciparum group (1/18, 5.6%, < 0.05).

Conclusions: Incidence of Plasmodium vivax malaria is higher compared to falciparum malaria in hospitalized patients and higher percentage of these need ICU care. Most common complications of malaria are thrombocytopenia followed by renal failure, hepatic dysfunction, ARDS, shock and cerebral dysfunction respectively. Mortality was higher in vivax and mixed malaria compared to falciparum. Higher SOFA score (Sequential organ failure assessment score), lower GCS score (Glasgow coma scale), hypotension, ARDS and metabolic acidosis are predictors of mortality.