Association of parasitemia with clinical manifestations, biochemical changes and antibody titres in adult patients with plasmodium falciprum malaria at Kenyatta National Hospital
Abstract
A prospective study of 76 adult patients with Plasmodium
falciperum malaria and 76 adult healthy controls at KNH over
six month period is described. There was no significant difference
in age and sex between the cases and controls. 81.6% of the
patients had been to malaria endemic areas two weeks prior to
presentation. The commonest presenting symptom was headache
(71.1%) followed by joint aches (33.8%) and dizziness (33.0%)
Fever occured in 92%, jaundice in 19% and splenomegally in 12%.
77.6% of the patients had severe falciperum malaria with a mean
parasitemia of 3.9%. 7 patients i.e. 10% had hyperparasitemia
and only one of them had impaired conscioussness. A total of
3 patients had impaired conscious level with 3 mean parasitemia
of 10.3% but none of them fitted into the WHO definition for cerebral malartia .There was statistically significant differences in the mean serum sodium, B.U.N. and serum creatinine between the cases and controls. BUN and serum creatinine showed a significant positive correlation with parasitemia but no significant correlation was demonstrated beteen the antibody titres and parasitemia.
Citation
Master of medicine (Medicine) at the University of Nairobi, 1988Publisher
University of Nairobi School of Medicine