• J Travel Med · May 2023

    Factors associated with delay in seeking healthcare for imported malaria: a retrospective study in a French hospital.

    • Clara Flateau, Marie Picque, Carole Cornaglia, Aurélia Pitsch, Tracie Youbong, Pierre Leroy, Astrid de Pontfarcy, Thierry Jault, Caroline Thach, Maryse Camus, François Dolveck, and Sylvain Diamantis.
    • Service des maladies infectieuses, Groupe hospitalier Sud Ile de France, Melun 77000, France.
    • J Travel Med. 2023 May 18; 30 (3).

    BackgroundDelayed treatment is associated with a higher risk of severe malaria. In malaria-endemic areas, the main factors associated with delay in seeking healthcare are low educational level and traditional beliefs. In imported malaria, determinants of delay in seeking healthcare are currently unknown.MethodsWe studied all patients presenting with malaria, from 1 January 2017 to 14 February 2022, in the hospital of Melun, France. Demographic and medical data were recorded for all patients, and socio-professional data were recorded for a subgroup of hospitalized adults. Relative-risks and 95% confidence intervals were determined using univariate analysis by cross-tabulation.ResultsThere were 234 patients included, all travelling from Africa. Among them, 218 (93%) were infected with P. falciparum, 77 (33%) had severe malaria, 26 (11%) were <18 years old and 81 were included during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. There were 135 hospitalized adults (58% of all patients). The median time to hospital admission (THA) , defined by the period from onset of symptoms to arrival at hospital, was 3 days (IQR = 2-5). A THA ≥3 days tended to be more frequent in travellers visiting friends and relatives (VFR; RR = 1.44, 95% CI = [1.0-2.05], P = 0.06), while it was less frequent in children and teenagers (RR = 0.58, 95% CI = [0.39-0.84], P = 0.01). Gender, African background, unemployment, living alone and absence of referring physician were not associated with delay in seeking healthcare. Consulting during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was neither associated with a longer THA nor with a higher rate of severe malaria.ConclusionIn contrast to an endemic area, socio-economic factors did not impact on delay in seeking healthcare in imported malaria. Prevention should focus on VFR subjects, who tend to consult later than other travellers.© International Society of Travel Medicine 2023. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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