“PLATELET COUNT” , DIAGNOSTIC AND PROGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE IN MALARIA PATIENTS

Malaria continues to be a cause of high mortality and morbidity. It can cause anemia and thrombocytopenia.The mechanism of thrombocytopenia in malaria is probably the consequence of several factors.Experimental data and clinical studies have successively emphasized the role of immune factors and thedestruction or sequestration of platelets. Thrombocytopenia might be a useful indicator of malaria and canalso be used as a marker of response to therapy. This study was conducted to evaluate thrombocytopenia inthe patients suffering from acute plasmodium vivax and plasmodium falciparum malaria separately. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of malaria on platelet count. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an original descriptive case series study and was carried out inpathology department Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar over period of six months from 1 st June 2011 to30 December 2011 . Total of 200 malaria parasite positive patients were included in the study. These patientsshowed malaria parasite in their peripheral blood smear (thick and thin) stained with Giemsa stain. P.vivaxand P.falciparum positive cases were grouped separately. Complete blood count was done on automatichematology analyzer and Platelet count was noted. RESULTS: Out of 200 patient, 120 were males and 80 were females. 127 (63.5%) were plasmodium vivaxpositive and 73 (36.5%) were plasmodium falciparum positive. Amongst P. Vivax positive patients 62(48.81%) showed thrombocytopenia while amongst P. falciparum positive patients 40 (54.79%) showedthrombocytopenia. Thus thrombocytopenia is observed to be more common amongst P. falciparum positivepatients. CONCLUSION:Malaria parasite causes thrombocytopenia. KEYWORDS: Platelets, thrombocytopenia, malaria.