Biomedical Research

Objective was to assess the occurrence and severity of thrombocytopenia in hospitalized malaria patients. A total of 102 patients who were hospitalized after confirmation of diagnosis of malaria by malarial parasite fluorescent technique (MPFT) and above 15yrs of age were included in this study. Hematological parameters were determined by using automated analyzer. Those with reduced platelet count were re-evaluated with manual method. In the study group of 102 patients; 50(49.01%) patients had mixed malaria & 46 (45.09%) were positive for plasmodium vivax. Isolated P.falciparum was detected in only 6(5.88%) thus showing that P.falciparum was less seen in this Dakshina Kannada region. Out of 50 cases detected with mixed malaria 38 cases had platelet count less than 1,50000 out of which 9(18%) patients had a platelet count less than 50,000.Out of the 46 patients detected with vivax malaria 34 patients had platelet count less than 1,50000 out of which 5(10.86%) patients had platelet count less than 50,000. Higher frequency of mild to severe thrombocytopenia was observed in hospitalized patients, which should alert the possibility of malarial infection. In this study mixed as well as plasmodium vivax was found to be common species.

Author(s): Nithish Bhandary, Vikram G S, Hariprasad Shetty
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