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.