Table 1 Baseline characteristics and outcomes of patients (n = 1922) evaluated for persistent fever, per study country
Sudan n = 667 | DR Congo n = 300 | Nepal n = 577 | Cambodia n = 378 | Total n = 1922 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Epidemiological data | |||||
Age in year, median (Q1–Q3) | 35 (20–48) | 19 (7–40) | 33 (20–50) | 47 (35–58) | 35 (20–50) |
Age category | |||||
5–17 years | 132 (19.8) | 137 (45.7) | 107 (18.5) | – | 376 (19.6) |
18–49 years | 379 (56.8) | 124 (41.3) | 308 (53.4) | 210 (55.6) | 1021 (53.1) |
≥ 50 years | 156 (23.4) | 39 (13.0) | 162 (28.1) | 168 (44.4) | 525 (27.3) |
Female gender | 382 (57.3) | 164 (54.7) | 251 (43.5) | 193 (51.1) | 990 (51.5) |
Clinical features | |||||
Duration of fever before inclusion in days, median (Q1–Q3) | 15 (10–28) | 14 (7–28) | 14 (8–28) | 14 (10–35) | 14 (9–28) |
Reported antibiotic exposurea | 168 (25.2) | 29 (9.7) | 205 (35.5) | 24 (6.5) | 426 (22.2) |
Reported antimalarial exposurea | 181 (27.1) | 13 (4.3) | 26 (4.5) | 4 (1.1) | 224 (11.7) |
Underlying co-morbidities | 51 (7.6) | 31 (9.4) | 44 (7.7) | 196 (51.8) | 322 (16.7) |
HIV infection | 5 (0.7) | 5 (1.7) | 5 (0.9) | 41 (10.8) | 56 (2.9) |
Diabetes mellitus | 12 (1.8) | 4 (1.3) | 14 (2.4) | 44 (11.6) | 74 (3.9) |
Arterial hypertension/heart disease | 23 (3.4) | 16 (5.3) | 16 (2.8) | 50 (13.2) | 105 (5.5) |
Chronic viral hepatitis/liver cirrhosis | – | – | – | 27 (7.1) | 27 (1.4) |
Rheumatic disorders | 2 (0.3) | – | 2 (0.3) | 17 (4.5) | 21 (1.1) |
Epilepsy/neurological disorders | – | 6 (2.0) | 2 (0.3) | 5 (1.3) | 13 (0.7) |
Associated symptoms | |||||
Respiratory | 518 (77.7) | 136 (45.3) | 352 (61.0) | 319 (84.4) | 1325 (68.9) |
Digestive | 530 (79.5) | 181 (60.3) | 207 (35.9) | 227 (60.1) | 1145 (59.6) |
Cutaneous | 165 (24.7) | 39 (13) | 43 (7.5) | 89 (23.5) | 336 (17.5) |
Genitourinary | 505 (75.7) | 30 (10.0) | 81 (14.0) | 94 (24.9) | 710 (36.9) |
Treatment and outcome | |||||
Immediate hospital admission | 72 (10.8) | 209 (69.7) | 216 (37.4) | 207 (54.8) | 704 (36.6) |
Duration of hospital stay in days, median (Q1–Q3) | 16 (10–17) | 6 (4–10) | 5 (3–10) | 6 (3–10) | 6 (3–12) |
Antibiotics prescribed after inclusion | 536 (79.2) | 166 (53.3) | 312 (54.1) | 307 (81.2) | 1321 (68.7) |
Antimalarials prescribed after inclusion | 41 (6.1) | 138 (46.0) | 39 (6.8) | 27 (7.1) | 245 (12.7) |
Lost to follow-up or missing information | 237 (35.8) | 95 (31.7) | 70 (12.0) | 71 (18.8) | 475 (24.7) |
Reported deaths | 0 (0) | 4 (1.3) | 17 (2.9) | 42 (11.1) | 63 (3.3) |
Resolved or improving | 301 (45.1) | 182 (60.7) | 482 (83.5) | 232 (61.4) | 1197 (62.3) |
No improvement or sequelae | 127 (19.0) | 19 (6.3) | 8 (1.4) | 33 (7.9) | 187 (9.7) |