Severe Malaria in Children in Mauritania: A Five-Year Retrospective Study at the Mother-Child Hospital Center of Nouakchott

Abstract Introduction Malaria is a potentially fatal parasitic infectious disease that poses a major public health problem. Our objective was to study the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic, and evolutionary profile of severe malaria in children in Mauritania. Patients and methods Retrospective study of the records of children hospitalized in the pediatric department of the Mother-Child Hospital Center of Nouakchott from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016. Results Males were predominant (55%) (sex ratio = 1.2). The most affected age group was 1 month to 5 years (58%), with a peak in admissions in October. Fever was the most frequent reason for hospitalization (62.74%). Prostration was the most frequently observed criterion of severity (56%). Severe anemia was present in 17% of cases, and thrombocytopenia was observed in two-thirds of cases. The outcome was favorable in 98% of cases. Conclusion: Severe malaria manifests itself in several clinical forms depending on the transmission area. Keywords: Severe malaria – Plasmodium falciparum – child – Nouakchott