Clinical and laboratory findings in acute malaria caused by various plasmodium species

Abstract

Objective: To find out clinical and laboratory findings in acute malaria caused by various plasmodium species.

Methods: This study was conducted in Department of Medicine and Pathology, Combined Military Hospital, Quetta, Balochistan, from August 2006 to December 2006. Five hundred and two subjects with positive malarial parasite slide were included in the study. Frequencies of alterations in clinical and laboratory parameters were determined in various plasmodium species and reported in percentage.

Results: Of 502 patients, 311 were Plasmodium (P.) falciparum, 100 were P. vivax and 91 were mixed infection. Triad of fever, chills and sweating was present in 91% of subjects with all three varieties of P. infection. Splenomegaly was detected in 59-73% individuals with malaria. Thrombocytopenia was the leading haematological alteration associated with various P. species, seen in almost 80% of infected patients. Anaemia and Jaundice were more common in P. falciparum and mixed infection as compared to P. vivax. Serum urea, creatinine and plasma glucose were within normal limits in all the patients with malaria.

Conclusion: Malaria must be considered as a leading differential diagnosis in an acutely febrile patient with one or more of abnormalities like splenomegaly, fall in blood counts or rise in bilirubin and serum alanine aminotransferase levels.