Common laboratory abnormality in malaria seen in the Asir region, south western saudi arabia

ABSTRACT

The results of laboratory investigation of 334 patients with confirmed malaria seen in the Asir region of south western Saudi Arabia were studied retrospectively Three hundred and two cases were due to P. falciparum malaria and the other 32 were P. vivax malaria. Anaemia, and relative lymphocytosis were more commonly seen in patients with P falciparum than those with P. vivax malaria while relative neutrophilia was seen more in those with P. vivax. Thrombocytopenia tended to occur equally in both types of malaria. P falciparum malaria resulted in higher ESR and reticulocytosis count but the difference was not significant. The liver function tests were abnormal in both types with hypoalbuminaemia in patients with P falciparum malaria. Mean bilirubin levels were higher in P vivax malaria, but abnormally higher levels were not significantly different between the two types after adjustment for age and sex. Mild elevation of liver enzymes, CPK and LDH occurred in both types of malaria. Renal dysfunction with hyponatraemia, hypokalaemia and albuminuria was found in both, possibly due to tubular dysfunction. Excess of urobilinogen in urine was seen in both types. Most of the abnormalities were transient and tended to normalize following therapy of malaria