Children arriving at African hospitals in comas have seen unchanged survival rates for decades. New research suggests that prompt antibiotic treatment could save many lives. Despite healthcare advancements, 17% to 45% of these severely ill children die or suffer disabilities. Analysis indicates that cerebral malaria is the primary cause of coma, but bacterial infections also play a significant role. Quick access to specialist care and antibiotics may drastically reduce mortality and disability rates. Medical staff often miss bacterial infections due to focusing solely on malaria treatment, highlighting the need for immediate antibiotic administration.
Researchers have discovered that giving antibiotics as soon as a child arrives at hospital could save tens of thousands of lives a year.
Analysis based on multiple studies shows that most of the children who go into a coma have a severe complication of malaria, called cerebral malaria.
Too often, malaria parasites in the blood stop medical staff from looking for additional bacterial infections, leading to higher mortality rates.
We need to make sure everyone that comes in with febrile coma gets antibiotics.
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