Abid Mahmood, Muhammad Yasir.
Thrombocytopenia : A predictor of Malaria among febrile patients in Liberia.
Infect Dis J Jan ;14(2):41-4.

Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate thrombocytopenia as a predictor for the diagnosis of malaria in febrile patients. Design: Retrospective, descriptive Place and duration of study: The study was conducted at Pakistan Field Level II hospital of United Nations Mission in Liberia during a period extending from March to November 2004. Methods: A total of 503 consecutive febrile patients were included in the study. Platelet counts were performed on automated hematology analyzer. Blood smears for malarial parasite were examined by experienced technicians. Results: A total of 145 patients were diagnosed to have Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Out of these 109 (75.18%) had thrombocytopenia. The platelet count was normal in 77.09% of the malarial parasite negative febrile patients. The sensitivity of the platelet count considered as a predictor of malaria was 80.11% while specificity was 81.36%. The positive predictive value was 63.87% and the negative predictive value was 90.86%. Conclusion: Thrombocytopenia is a predictor of falciparum malaria in febrile patients in Liberia. Peripheral blood smears of febrile, thrombocytopenic patients should be carefully examined for the presence of malarial parasites in endemic areas. Key words Thrombocytopenia, Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum

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