RESUMEN
Objective: to observe the correlation of hemoglobin versus liver function tests in patients of falciparum Malaria
Settings and design: a descriptive study conducted at Department of Biochemistry, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, JPMC, Karachi from August 2005 to July 2006
Patients and methods: total eighty-one patients of different ages ranging 3-56 years and both sexes suffering from acute malaria, confirmed by peripheral blood smear were selected by consecutive sampling. Nine out of eighty-one patients were infected by Hepatitis B and C infections and were excluded from the study. Out of seventy-two patients 48[70%] were suffering from malaria by Plasmodium falciparum and 24[30%] from Plasmodium vivax infection. The falciparum infected patients were equally segregated into two groups on the basis of duration of illness. Group 1 comprised of 24 patients complaining of fever with or without rigors ranging from 1 - 7 days. Group 2 also consisted of 24 patients with duration of illness lasting from 8-20 days
Results: the hematocrits percentage was showing a positive good correlation in these groups with hemoglobin, which is statistically significant [P<0.01]. The bilirubin, SGPT and SGOT of group II were showing a weak negative correlation with hemoglobin but it is statistically significant [P<0.05]. The other parameters of both groups were showing a non-significant correlation
Conclusion: because Falciparum can present like Fulminant hepatitis so liver function tests should be performed along with early diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in order to prevent complications and to reduce mortality