Hematological Changes in Patients of Malaria

Malaria is an epidemiological problem at the global level. In Indian sub continent it is a major cause of mortality in immunosupressed patients and in extreme ages of life. Our study is based on early detection of malaria by hematological parameters. A study on 287 malaria patients was carried out at P.D.U Medical College, Rajkot between 1st July 2009 to 31st December 2009 with an objective to detect (a) the most common species causing malaria in Rajkot district, (b) to see the overall hematological changes in patients, (c) to identify the species specific changes and (d) to determine hematological parameters which could guide in diagnosis of malaria. The study showed that Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) as the most common species specific malaria. Most of the infected cases showed anemia, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and thrombocytopenia as common hematological changes. These hematological values were decreased as compared to control (normal person) in P. falciparum infection than in Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) infection.