Table 1 Review questions using the PICOST framework
Population | Children (persons younger than 18 years) who had severe malaria. Severe malaria in this study will be defined as the presence of P. falciparum asexual parasitaemia on a blood smear along with one or more of the following: impaired consciousness (a Blantyre coma score of < 3), acidosis or respiratory distress, hypoglycaemia, severe malarial anaemia, multiple convulsions, prostration, renal impairment, jaundice, pulmonary oedema, significant bleeding, shock, or hyperparasitaemia with no other confirmed cause for the symptoms or signs |
Exposure | The exposure for this study is severe malaria. Different forms of severe malaria are cerebral malaria, severe malaria anaemia, respiratory distress, malaria with seizures, and malaria with prostration |
Comparator | None |
Outcome | The study outcome is GND. Different forms of GND include motor impairments and movement disorders (ataxia, tremor, dystonia, cranial nerve palsies, mono paresis, hemiparesis or quadriparesis, and monoplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), speech or language impairments, and hearing or visual impairment |
Study design | The review will include cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, case–control studies, randomized controlled trials, diagnostic studies, quasi-experimental study designs, and case series |
Setting | Malaria-affected regions globally |
Timing/date of publication | 1946 (earliest date for the first journal publication on severe malaria) to date |