Electrolyte imbalance and its determinants associated to malaria parasite densities, among malaria pediatric patients in two health facilities in Yaoundé

<title>Abstract</title> <p>Background Electrolyte imbalance is the common clinical manifestation in several infectious diseases including malaria. The purpose of this study was to assess electrolyte (Sodium, Potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium) imbalance in children of 0–16 years with malaria. Method This was cross sectional hospital- based study carried out between February to April, 2024 in Yaoundé. A total of 129 children with malaria aged 0–16 years were recruited for this study. Malaria and biochemical test were done. The data was entered into SPSS for statistical analyses. Results The prevalence of electrolyte imbalance in at least one of the parameters among the five electrolyte parameters was 94.6% among the infected children (122/129). Sodium imbalance was significantly associated with parasite density (χ² = 13.584, p &lt; 0.001). Children in the high-density group had 3.6 times higher odds of hyponatremia (OR = 3.618; 95% CI: 1.563–8.375; p = 0.003) and nearly nine times higher odds of hypernatremia (OR = 8.947; 95% CI: 1.817–44.054; p = 0.007) compared to those with normonatremia. Magnesium imbalance was significantly associated with parasite density (χ² = 14.180, p &lt; 0.001). The presence of chills remained a significant independent predictor (AOR = 0.144; 95% CI: 0.027–0.776; p = 0.024). Conclusion High malaria parasite density is a major driver of severe electrolyte imbalances (sodium, potassium, and magnesium) in children. These abnormalities directly affect cellular function, requiring close clinical monitoring and targeted nursing interventions to prevent complications.</p>