Cerebral malaria. Factors affecting outcome of treatment in a suboptimal clinical setting.

Over a period of 6 months, 109 patients were admitted to the medical wards of the Gondar College Hospital with malaria. Out of these, 26 patients (24.8%) had cerebral malaria as defined by the WHO Malaria Action Programme 1986. Fifteen of the 26 patients (57.7%) died. Longer duration of unconsciousness before coming to the hospital, hyperparasitaemia, oliguria, recurrent hypoglycaemia and convulsions were found to be significantly associated with mortality.