Prevalence and factors associated with severe thrombocytopenia among hospitalized patients with malaria attending Kigeme District Hospital, Southern Province, Rwanda: cross-sectional study

Abstract

This cross-sectional study found a 27.4% prevalence of severe thrombocytopenia in malaria patients. Key associated factors included less or equal to 5 years old, positive C-reactive protein, type of Plasmodium infecting species, jaundice, epistaxis, and high serum urea levels, while cerebral malaria linked to a lower likelihood of thrombocytopenia. This highlight the need for early identification severe thrombocytopenia among severe malaria patients who are at high likelihood suffering severe thrombocytopenia. Further longitudinal studies are recommended to better understand the predictive value of these factors and their role in guiding clinical management.