Abstract
Background: Malaria is an infectious disease caused by an infection of the protozoa genus plasmodium that is transmitted by anopheles sp. Female mosquito. East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is an archipelago that is listed as the third highest endemicity of malaria province in Indonesia after Papua and West Papua. NTT is also categorized as High Case Incidence (HCI). Optimal efforts should be taken to prevent the increase of malaria cases, especially in isolated areas when seasonal changes occur. This study aimed to develop a malaria detection index for health�care cadres based on clinical signs and symptoms that allowed rapid and accurate mala�ria detection and prompt treatment.
Subjects and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at eleven regencies in East Nusa Tenggara, from February to December 2016. A total of 583 subjects were selected for this study. The dependent variable was case of malaria. The independent variables were shivering, sweating, joint pain, nausea/ vomiting, and pale conjunctiva. In developing the cli�ni�cal index, the presence of each sign or symptom was coded 1, otherwise was coded 0. The data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. The clinical index of malaria was the sum of the intercept and regression coefficients of the multiple logistic regression. A subject was classified as positive of malaria if the clinical index \u22651.4, which was equivalent to \u2265180% probability of malaria.
Results: Shivering (b= -1.97), chill (b= 1.06), sweat (b= 1.59), joint pain (b= 0.56), nausea/ vomitting (b= 0.92), and pale conjunctiva (b= 1.79) were significantly associated with signs and symptoms of malaria.
Conclusion: Clinical Index for malaria has been developed using the presence of shivering, sweating, joint pain, nausea/ vomiting, and pale conjunctiva. A subject is classified as positive of malaria if the clinical index \u22651.4, which is equivalent to \u226580% probability of malaria.
Keywrods: endemic, clinical index, malaria.
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