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Table 1 Clinical characteristics at baseline by level of haemoglobin

From: Anaemia and blood transfusion in African children presenting to hospital with severe febrile illness

 

Severe anaemia (Hb <5 g/dL)

Moderate anaemia (5 to <7 g/dL)

Mild anaemia (7 to <10 g/dL)

No anaemia (≥10 g/dL)

Total

P value

N (%)1

1,002 (33%)

501 (16%)

843 (27%)

736 (24%)

3,082

 

General

      

Age (months); median (IQR)

25 (15, 42)

23 (13, 36)

19 (12, 34)

24 (14, 45)

24 (13, 38)

0.02

Female

439 (44%)

245 (49%)

367 (44%)

364 (49%)

1415 (46%)

0.1

Weight-for-age z-score; median (IQR)

−1.6

−1.6

−1.5

−1.3

−1.5

<0.001

(−2.5, –0.8)

(−2.6, –0.8)

(−2.4, –0.6)

(−2.2, −0.5)

(−2.4, −0.7)

Axillary Temperature >39°C

109 (11%)

119 (24%)

261 (31%)

234 (32%)

723 (24%)

<0.001

Respiratory

      

Respiratory rate; mean (SD)

56.1 (13.8)

56.5 (14.5)

60.3 (15.8)

58.0 (16.6)

57.8 (15.3)

<0.001

Respiratory distress

845 (85%)

410 (82%)

694 (83%)

574 (78%)

2,523 (82%)

0.001

Chest indrawing

686 (69%)

322 (64%)

576 (68%)

483 (66%)

2,067 (67%)

0.39

Deep breathing

745 (75%)

329 (66%)

485 (58%)

424 (58%)

1,983 (65%)

<0.001

Oxygen saturation ≤90%

260 (28%)

107 (22%)

187 (23%)

195 (27%)

749 (25%)

0.36

Cardiovascular

      

Weak radial pulse

298 (29%)

113 (23%)

139 (16%)

107 (15%)

657 (21%)

<0.001

Lower limb temperature gradient2

661 (66%)

295 (59%)

467 (55%)

394 (53%)

1,883 (59%)

<0.001

Capillary refill time (3 or more seconds)

573 (57%)

115 (23%)

80 (9%)

50 (7%)

818 (27%)

<0.001

Severe tachycardia3

616 (62%)

377 (75%)

623 (74%)

544 (74%)

2,160 (70%)

<0.001

Bradycardia

18 (2%)

3 (<1%)

6 (<1%)

8 (1%)

35 (1%)

0.11

Systolic blood pressure; median (IQR)

88 (81, 96)

93 (86, 101)

94 (86, 102)

98 (89, 106)

93 (85, 101)

<0.001

Moderate hypotension4

100 (10%)

25 (5%)

43 (5%)

19 (3%)

187 (6%)

<0.001

Hypothermia (temperature <36°C)

98 (10%)

24 (5%)

27 (3%)

41 (6%)

190 (6%)

<0.001

Dehydration (sunken eyes or reduced skin turgor)

105 (11%)

46 (9%)

51 (6%)

34 (5%)

236 (8%)

<0.001

Anaemia

      

Severe pallor (pale mucous membranes)

989 (99%)

381 (77%)

167 (20%)

38 (5%)

1,575 (51%)

<0.001

Haemoglobinuria (history of dark urine)

282 (28%)

62 (12%)

32 (4%)

9 (1%)

385 (13%)

<0.001

Clinical jaundice

584 (58%)

200 (40%)

155 (18%)

35 (5%)

974 (32%)

<0.001

Neurological

      

Prostrate5

726 (73%)

328 (66%)

466 (55%)

387 (53%)

1,907 (62%)

<0.001

Coma6

129 (13%)

89 (18%)

142 (17%)

98 (13%)

458 (15%)

0.55

Convulsions in this illness

264 (27%)

212 (42%)

358 (42%)

320 (44%)

1,154 (37%)

<0.001

Laboratory tests

      

Positive malaria parasitaemia7

593 (59%)

377 (75%)

462 (55%)

317 (43%)

1,749 (57%)

<0.001

Hyperparasitaemia8

34/592 (6%)

41/308 (13%)

42/569 (7%)

32/504 (6%)

149/1,973 (8%)

0.86

Glucose <2.5 mmol/L

52 (5%)

28 (6%)

31 (4%)

23 (3%)

134 (5%)

0.02

Lactate ≥5 mmol/L

672 (70%)

218 (45%)

184 (23%)

75 (11%)

1,149 (39%)

<0.001

Base deficit >8

392/632 (62%)

189/329 (58%)

254/554 (45%)

239/539 (44%)

1,074/2,054 (52%)

<0.001

Severe acidaemia (pH <7.2)

97/635 (15%)

38/291 (12%)

48/556 (9%)

30/511 (6%)

213/2,061 (10%)

0.82

Hyperkalaemia (>6.5 mmol/L)

83/630 (13%)

41/330 (12%)

54/559 (10%)

28/536 (5%)

206/2,055 (10%)

<0.001

HIV antibody positive

17/790 (2%)

25/390 (6%)

36/666 (5%)

31/615 (5%)

109/2,461 (4%)

0.008

Positive blood culture

25/234 (11%)

32/179 (18%)

36/341 (11%)

35/317 (10%)

128/1,071 (12%)

0.52

  1. 1Of 3,170 children enrolled in the FEAST trial, 88 did not have haemoglobin measured at baseline.
  2. 2Temperature gradient was assessed by running the back of the hand from the toe to the knee; a positive temperature gradient was defied as a notable temperature change from cold (dorsum of foot) to warm (knee).
  3. 3Severe tachycardia was defined as >180 beats per minute (bpm) in children <12 months, >160 bpm in children aged 12 months to 5 years, and >140 bpm for those aged >5 years.
  4. 4Moderate hypotension was defined as systolic blood pressure of 50 to 75 mmHg in children younger than 12 months, 60 to 75 mmHg in those 12 months to 5 years, and 70 to 85 mmHg in those older than 5 years, as measured by automated blood pressure monitor.
  5. 5Prostration was defined as the inability of a child older than 8 months of age to sit upright or the inability of a child 8 months of age or younger to breast feed.
  6. 6Coma was defined as the inability to localise a painful stimulus.
  7. 7Positive on quality-controlled malaria slide, or, if missing, on rapid diagnostic test.
  8. 8Parasite count >250,000 per μL or, for 133 children in whom quantitative parasite count was unavailable, percentage parasitaemia >10%. No information on parasite density was available for 1,109/3,082 (36%) children.
  9. IQR, Interquartile range; SD, Standard deviation.