Malaria acute kidney injury: Case report from Tumbi regional referral hospital in Pwani, Tanzania

Abstract

Malaria is a most significant parasitic disease worldwide. The overall burden of malaria infection in Tanzania has been decreasing over the past 10 years. On the other hand, there is an observation of an increase in severe forms of malaria, notably malaria-associated kidney injury, across hospitals in Tanzania. We are reporting two cases of severe malaria-associated acute kidney injury admitted at Tumbi Regional Referral Hospital in Eastern Tanzania. The patients were young adults who live in an area with a moderately high malaria transmission rate in the country. Patients recovered well after various inpatient interventions. The cases highlight not only an increasing number of severe malaria cases associated with acute kidney injury but also the challenges of managing malaria in a low-income endemic setting and the potential treatment failure of artemisinin-based compounds. The cases underscore the importance of early presentation to health facilities, early detection of severe malaria patients, and timely interventions, including hemodialysis, which are crucial in improving the prognosis of severe malaria patients.