NCT00687895

Improved Clinical and Microscopy Diagnosis at Primary Health Care in Tanzania

Quality Malaria Case Management In Under- Fives In Primary Health Care (Phc) Institutions In Bagamoyo And Kibaha Districts Of Coastal Tanzania:a Multicomponent Controlled Intervention Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 3,131 (actual)
• Sponsor: Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 6 Months – 59 Months
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

General objective: To improve the quality of fever case management in children in government health facilities in Tanzania Hypothesis:The training of health workers, as well as provision, training and use of microscopes for malaria diagnosis will improve the treatment of clinical episodes of fever in children while reducing the amount and costs of drugs

Detailed description

PHC facilities were eligible for the study if they were rural government owned; accessible by road during rainy season; and within 3 hours by car from Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences (MUCHS), Dar es Salaam All children attending the 16 PHC facilities under the study during daytime were enrolled if they fulfilled the following criteria: 1. below five years of age 2. fever (temperature≥37.5◦C) and/or reported history of fever in last 2 days 3. able to return to the facility on day 7 after treatment or any other day if symptoms were to worsen or recur 4. the mother/guardian or caretaker consented to participate. Patients with severe disease and/or general danger signs requiring inpatient care according to the IMCI guidelines were admitted or referred to the health centers or the district hospitals

Conditions

• Malaria

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Clinical algorithm and microscopy diagnosis of malaria	Clinical alogarithm The content of the package included 1. description of signs and symptoms of malaria disease 2. history taking relevant to malaria and physical examination 3. identification of danger signs and severe illness for referral 4. appropriate treatment 5. counseling patients on the use of drugs. Malaria microscopy. contents 1. make thick blood smears from patients with fever and stain with Giemsa 2. identify and count malaria parasites 3. maintain the microscope and store blood slides.

Timeline

• Start date: 2003-07-01
• Primary completion: 2004-03-01
• Completion: 2004-03-01
• First posted: 2008-06-02
• Last updated: 2008-06-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Tanzania