Gastrointestinal manifestations of acute falciparum malaria in children.

The gastrointestinal manifestations of acute symptomatic uncomplicated falciparum malaria were studied in 184 consecutive children aged from 6 months to 15 years. Vomiting was the most common and epigastralgia the least common presenting symptom. Peripheral parasite density was higher in children who were vomiting than in those who were not. There was no relationship between the density of peripheral parasitaemia and the duration of gastrointestinal symptoms at presentation. All gastrointestinal symptoms cleared within 3 days after instituting antimalarial therapy.