FREQUENCY OF THROMBOCYTOPENIA IN PLASMODIUM VIVAX MALARIA

Thrombocytopenia in Plasmodium Vivax Malaria

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of thrombocytopenia in Plasmodium vivax (P.vivax) malaria cases at two hospitals.
Study Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the departments of Pathology, Combined Military Hospitals Malir and Sibi, Pakistan from Jul 2011 to Mar 2012.
Patients and Methods: A total of 2709 samples were collected from febrile patients for detection of malaria parasite (944 from CMH Malir and 1765 from CMH Sibi). Cases having infection with P. falciparum alone or having mixed infection with P. vivax and P. falciparum were excluded from the study. Both thick and thin film microscopy and immunochromatographic method (OptiMAL-IT) were used for detection of malarial parasite. Platelet counts were done using automated haematology analyser (Sysmex KX 21) with re-evaluation of low counts with manual methods.
Results: Total of 170 patients were found positive for P. vivax malaria (44 from CMH Malir and 126 from CMH Sibi). Platelet counts ranged from 21 – 457 × 109/l with a mean of 134 × 109/l. Ninety five (2.1%) from CMH Malir and 4.2% from CMH Sibi out of 170 patients had thrombocytopenia, and the difference in thrombocytopenia at the two hospitals was insignificant (0.017).
Conclusion: Thrombocytopenia in patients with P. vivax infection is equally prevalent in the two hospitals, representing a widely different geographical area and should prompt a more thorough search for malarial parasite.