ArticlePloS one2019
Factors associated with treatment type of non-malarial febrile illnesses in under-fives at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.
Article in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Implementation determinants of rapid diagnostic tests for fever management in sub-Saharan Africa: a mixed-studies systematic review.Nature communications · 2026Pooled it
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of the aetiological agents of non-malarial febrile illnesses in Africa.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Pooled it
- Identifying populations with high prevalence of non-malarial febrile illnesses across different demographic groups in Malawi.Malaria journal · 2026Article
- Mapping of the country-wide prevalence of non-malarial febrile illnesses in areas with varying malaria transmission intensities in Mainland Tanzania.Gates open research · 2026Article
- Assessing the influence of rapid diagnostic test (RDT) accuracy on malaria misdiagnosis and antimalarial resistance in Nigeria.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025Review
- Receipt of antimalarials among children aged 6-59 months in Nigeria from 2010 to 2021.Malaria journal · 2024Article
- Predicting Optimal Antimalarial Drug Combinations from a Standardized Plasmodium falciparum Humanized Mouse Model.Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy · 2023Article
- Self-Reported Symptoms at Last Febrile Illness as a Predictor of Treatment-Seeking in Western Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2023Article
- Molecular screening reveals non-uniform malaria transmission in western Kenya and absence of Rickettsia africae and selected arboviruses in hospital patients.Malaria journal · 2022Article
- Health care provider practices in diagnosis and treatment of malaria in rural communities in Kisumu County, Kenya.Malaria journal · 2022Article
- Past eight-year malaria data in Gedeo zone, southern Ethiopia: trend, reporting-quality, spatiotemporal distribution, and association with socio-demographic and meteorological variables.BMC infectious diseases · 2021Article
- A survey of mosquito-borne and insect-specific viruses in hospitals and livestock markets in western Kenya.PloS one · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNon-malarial febrile illnesses comprise of almost half of all fever presenting morbidities, among under-five children in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies have reported cases of prescription of antimalarial medications to these febrile under-fives who were negative for malaria. The treatment of these children with antimalarial medications increases incidences of antimalarial drug resistance as well as further morbidities and mortalities, due to failure to treat the actual underlying causes of fever.
aimTo identify clinical and demographic factors associated with treatment type (malarial/non-malarial) of non-malarial febrile illnesses (NMFI) in children aged ≤5 at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.
methodsA positivist epistemological approach, cross sectional descriptive study design was used. A structured questionnaire was used on a sample of 341 medical records of children aged ≤5 years to extract data on clinical examinations (recorded as yes or no), diagnostic test results, and demographic data on the child's sex and age. Descriptive and inferential analysis was applied to the data.
resultsPrescription of antimalarial drugs despite negative microscopy results was found in 44 (12.9%) of the children, with mortality reported in 48 (14.1%). Assessment of respiratory distress was 0.13 (0.03,0.58) times associated with less likelihood of prescribing an antimalarial in those with a negative microscopy. A male patient was 0.21 (0.05,0.89) times less likely to receive an intravenous antimalarial after a negative microscopy. Patients aged ˂1 with a negative microscopy result were more likely to receive an antimalarial than older children.
conclusionThere is a need to eliminate incorrect treatment of NMFI with antimalarial medication, while ensuring correct diagnosis and treatment of the specific illness occurs. This requires strengthening and adherence to diagnostic and treatment guidelines of febrile illnesses in under-fives, consequently reducing morbidities and mortalities associated with inadequate management of NMFIs.
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