Waseem Iqbal, Sadia Saeed, Jamil Akhter, Qamar Aziz, Sumamaya Khan.
Malaria Infection: A Clinicopathology Correlation.
Baqai J Health Sci Jan ;11(2):15-22.

Objectives: The hematological changes associated with malaria are well recognized. This study was conducted to assess and compare the incidence and severity of hematological changes in various types of malaria in local population of Gadap city who visited the Fatima Diagnostic Laboratory of Fatima Hospital, Baqai Medical University between Jan. 2007 to Dec. 2008. Methodology: This observational study included 3,263 cases of fever who were suspected for malaria visited Fatima Hospital Laboratory of, Baqai Medical University during January 2007 to December 2008. The age, sex, place of referral and species of malarial parasites were recorded. The total number of male patients was 211 and female was 168 with a mean age group of 21 years. The diagnosis of malaria was confirmed by thick and thin film stained with Leishman’s staining for malarial parasite. Slides were reviewed by hematologist and Full blood counts were performed using automated Sysmex K-1000. Result: A total of 3,263 patients were subjected for malaria testing during the study period. Three hundred and seventy nine had a positive peripheral smear. There were two hundred and eleven (55.6%) male and one hundred and sixty eight (44.3%) female patients. One hundred and fifty eight (42%) were P falciparum positive, two hundred and three (53%) were P vivax positive and eighteen (5%) patients had mixed infection of both P. falciparum and P. vivax. Two hundred and eighteen (57.5%) patients had thrombocytopenia. Out of this, One hundred and ten (50.4%) patients with thrombocytopenia were P. falciparum positive and one hundred and eight (49.6%) patients with thrombocytopenia were P. vivax positive. One hundred and fifty seven (41%) patients had anemia. Out of this, Thirty seven (23.6%) patients with anemia were P. falciparum positive and one hundred and twenty (76.4%) patients with anemia were P. vivax positive. Sixty 16%) patients had leukopenia. Out of this, Thirty three (55%) patients with leukopenia were P. falciparum positive and 27 (45%) with leukopenia were P. vivax positive. Conclusions: Malaria was found to be one of the most prevalent infections in the surveyed population and the frequency of vivax species was more as compared to falciparum malaria. The majority of falciparum malaria patients develop significant haematological complications with high frequency of thrombocytopenia and anemia as compared to vivax infection while changes in the white blood cells was less dramatic.

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