Parasitemia Threshold for Hypoglycemia Risk in Pediatric Uncomplicated Malaria: A Cross-sectional Study in Ivory Coast

<i>Background: </i>Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in children in endemic regions. This study aimed to examine the prevalence, risk factors, and predictive indicators of hypoglycemia in children with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria.<i> Methods: </i>A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Urban Community Health Center of Anonkoua-Kouté in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Thirty-eight Black African children aged 3-14 years with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria were included. Parasitemia, leukocyte count, blood hemoglobin concentration, and glycemia were also evaluated. The Spearman coefficient was used to analyze non-parametric distributions. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the parasitemia threshold for optimal prediction of hypoglycemia risk. <i>Results: </i>The prevalence of hypoglycemia was 34.2%, with a mean blood glucose level of 4.17 mmol/l. An inverse correlation was observed between glycemia and parasitemia. ROC curve analysis demonstrated an optimal hypoglycemic risk with a sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 68% for a parasitemia threshold of 3,725/µL. No statistically significant associations were identified between glycemia and leukocyte count, hemoglobin level, or patient age. <i>Conclusion: </i>This study revealed a high prevalence of hypoglycemia in children with uncomplicated malaria, which was associated with elevated parasitemia levels. The importance of this factor in clinical settings arises from its potential impact on patient management and development of treatment strategies. The identified parasitemia threshold may serve as a critical indicator for evaluating treatment efficacy and assessing potential complications of malaria. Further research is warranted to validate these findings in larger multisite studies and to explore additional confounding factors.