Effectiveness of rectal artesunate as pre-referral treatment for severe malaria in children under 5 years of age: a multi-country observational study

Table 2 Treatment and referral along the continuum of care for the entire study period

Exposure variables	DRC	Nigeria	Uganda
RAS use (N)	2011	589	3686
Yes (%)	76.4	33.6	45.3
Referral completion to referral health facility (N)	2011	589	3686
Yes (%)	65.0	41.3	57.3
Unconfirmed (%)	2.4	12.9	0.6
Referral delay (N)	2011	589	3686
Same or next day (%)	47.7	33.1	50.1
Later than the next day (%)	14.9	5.6	4.6
Not completed (%)	32.5	45.8	42.1
Unknown (%)	4.9	15.5	3.2
*Post-referral treatment*^a
Artesunate injection (N)	1215	177	1420
Yes (%)	78.7	94.4	43.7
Antimalarial injection^b (N)	1215	177	1436
Yes (%)	86.8	94.4	51.5
ACT (N)	1215	177	2111
Yes (%)	68.4	0	70.9
Antimalarial injection^b and ACT (N)	1215	177	1351
Yes (%)	63.8	0	46.0

RAS Rectal artesunate, ACT Artemisinin-based combination therapy
^aFor DRC and Nigeria, observed practice for patients who completed referral and were admitted at monitored referral health facilities; for Uganda, as per caregiver recall on day 28, which may include medicines administered outside monitored referral facilities (denominator includes caregivers who recall whether or not a specific medicine was administered)
^bIncludes parenteral artesunate, artemether and quinine

ISSN: 1741-7015