Publication:

A study of thrombocytopenia in malaria and its prognostic significance

Background Malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases of tropics, affecting 300-500 million people and causing over 1 million deaths each year in the world. Malaria is a multisystem infection and can be associated with many complications. Thrombocytopenia is the most common hematological complication of malaria, but association of thrombocytopenia with different types of malaria and its prognostic implications in context with severity of low platelet count has not been evaluated in many of previous studies. Objectives of the study was to study the incidence, correlation of severity and prognostic significance of thrombocytopenia in malaria.

Methods A total of 100 cases were included in the study and identified positive for malaria parasites on peripheral smear examination with conventional microscopy and /or by rapid diagnostic test.

Results Present study includes 100 patient with malaria from which 78% were males and 22% were females. Most of the patients were suffering from P. vivax malaria (65%), and rest suffered from P. falciparum malaria (32%) and mixed infection (03%). Incidence of thrombocytopenia was 79%, of which mild, moderate and severe thrombocytopenia was 35.44%, 41.77% and 22.78% respectively. Complicated and uncomplicated malaria cases were 22.79% and 77.21% respectively.

Conclusion Clinical bleeding in severe malaria is not a common feature and occurred in 5.5% of individuals with severe disease. Unnecessary platelet transfusion is not required for mild to moderate degree of thrombocytopenia in malaria patients which further avoids an unnecessary cost burden in the poor group of patients.