ABSTRACT
Quantitative buffy coat (QBC) technique, thick smears, thin smears and conventional buffy coat smears were compared for malarial parasite detection. Of 200 blood samples studied, 70 (35%) samples were positive by QBC technique, 62 (31%) samples by thick smears, 50 (25%) samples by thin smears and only 34 (17%) samples were positive by conventional buffy coat technique. 8 (4%) samples detected by QBC technique alone, had low parasitic index. Haematological analysis was performed on samples positive for malarial parasite. Anaemia was present in 66 (94.28%) samples of which 37 (56.06%) were Plasmodium falciparum, 21 (31.81%) were Plasmodium vivax and 8 (12.12%) had mixed infection (Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax). 35 (50%) cases showed normocytic normochromic anaemia. Majority of the samples showed normal total and differential leukocyte count. Thrombocytopenia was found in 49 (70%) samples of which 33 (67.34%) were Plasmodium falciparum.