Gastrointestinal manifestations of acute falciparum malaria in children

The gastrointestinal manifestations of acute symptomatic uncomplicated falc iparum malaria were studied in 184 consecutive children aged from 6 months to 15 years. Vomiting was the most common and epigastralgia the least commo n presenting symptom. Peripheral parasite density was higher in children wh o were vomiting than in those who were not. There was no relationship betwe en the density of peripheral parasitaemia and the duration of gastrointesti nal symptoms at presentation. All gastrointestinal symptoms cleared within 3 days after instituting antimalarial therapy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.