Changing clinical profile of malaria at a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background: There is a widespread range of diverse typical and atypical manifestations of malaria. The diagnosis of malaria may escape the attention of treating physician due to its unusual and vague presentations.The morbidity and mortality due to malaria is increased due to lack of early diagnosis and right treatment. The Aim of the present study was to examine the changing clinical pattern of malaria with special attention to atypical presentations.Methods: The present study comprised of 630 cases of definitively diagnosed malaria.Diagnostic methods used were conventional thick and thin peripheral smear stained with Leishman stain and rapid malarial antigen test.Results: This study revealed atypical symptoms like lack of taste (1.3%), throat discomfort (13.33%) and cough (24.0%) and vomiting (52.4%) as presenting complaints. These were significantly more in patients with P. vivax infestations.Conclusions: A high degree of suspicion is necessary for early detection and treatment of malaria, especially of unusual presentations.

Clinical profile of falciparum, vivax and mixed infections of malaria, from a tertiary care hospital, Coastal Andhra, India

“…In Khuraiya P et al, study chills and rigors was present in 90.3% of patients, In Kalavati GP et al, study chills and rigors was observed in 84.8%, in Rathod SN et al, study group it was Observed in 83.1% of patients. 9,11,14 But in Surve KM et al, study group it was observed in only 64% of patients which showing lower incidence of chills and rigors when compared to this study. 8 It was also noted that 27% of the patients had easy fatiguability as their presenting complaint.…”

“…52.4% and 52.88% respectively. 14,11 In other study groups like Surve KM et al, Patel G et al, Kalavati GP et al, and Anshika Jain et al, incidence of vomiting is lower compared to this study. In Anshika jain et al, study group it was 31.84%, Kalavati GP et al group it was 37.1% and in Patel GI group it was 33%.…”

“…It was 17% in Patel G et al, and symptoms of cough and breathlessness was highest in Rathod SN et al, study which is 24%, the cause may be because of similar reason explained for this study i.e higher incidence of falciparum infection in their study. 10,14 The number of patients with pain abdomen in this study was 17%. All other studies have higher incidence of pain abdomen compared to the study except Kalavati GP et al, study, which had very lower incidence compared to this study i.e.…”

“…9,10,13 In Rathod SN et al, study fever was present in 95.1% of patients. 14 In Another study group Surve KM et al, fever was present in 99% of the patients. 8 But in all study groups, the predominant complaint is fever only.…”

“…In Rathod SN et al, group it was 27.05 %, in Patel G et al, group it was 26.4% and in Anshika Jain et al, group it was 29.1%. 10,13,14 Altered sensorium was observed in 11% of total patients. All 11% of patients are falciparum group.…”