A study published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene found the United States needs to enact more prevention measures as malaria makes its way through U.S. facilities.
Researchers analyzed the number of malaria-related hospitalizations between 2000 and 2014 using Nationwide Inpatient Sample data.
Here are seven takeaways:
1. In the aforementioned time frame, there were 22,029 malaria-related hospitalizations.
2. Of this figure, 182 were in-hospital deaths and there were 4,823 severe malaria cases.
3. Researchers did not find a significant change in hospitalizations over the study period.
4. August had the highest number of malaria-related hospitalizations.
5. Malaria primarily impacted patients who were male, black or between 25 and 44 years old.
6. The average patient was hospitalized for 4.36 days and had charges reaching $25,789.
7. Malaria-related cases primarily occurred in the Middle Atlantic and South Atlantic regions as well as in urban teaching, private nonprofit and large hospitals.
