Effect of Malaria on Hematological Profile in Medical Ward of Chandka Medical College Larkana

Анотація

Introduction. Malaria is a serious disease transmitted by female anopheles mosquito and caused by Plasmodium that infects red blood cells and affects millions of people globally, leading to many complications and deaths. The complete blood picture (CBC), which measures the different components of blood, is altered by the disease. Hemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen and is affected by malaria, resulting in a decrease in hemoglobin, causing anemia. White blood cells, which help fight off infections, initially increase in number during malaria, but decrease as the disease progresses, indicating a weakened immune response. Platelets also decrease in number, leading to thrombocytopenia.

Objectives. (1) To see effects of malaria on hematological profile; (2) To see the difference of changes due to malaria on hematological profile in both males and females.

Methodology. The study was conducted at Medical Department of Chandka Medical College, Larkana, on patients with malaria over a period of four months. The sample size was determined using the WHO calculator, and 87 patients were recruited who were diagnosed with malaria through rapid acting ICT method. Patients with recent full blood count reports were included, while those under 13 years of age or with co-morbidities were excluded. Ethical approval was obtained, and data was collected through a pre-tested questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22 software.

Results. The study found that malaria caused hematological changes in patients. Hemoglobin levels were affected in 72.4% of patients, with 27.6% showing mild anemia, 34.5% moderate anemia, and 10.3% severe anemia. Females were more affected than males. Platelet counts decreased in 44.8% of patients, with 13.8% experiencing mild thrombocytopenia, 16.1% moderate, and 14.9% severe thrombocytopenia, while a small proportion had thrombocytosis. Females were again more affected. Granulocytes were not affected by malaria.