African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases

ISSN 2736-173X

African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases ISSN 4123-0981 Vol. 2 (9), pp. 078-081, October, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A study of the effect  of acute falciparum malaria on plasma levels in Nigeria children

*1Adebayo O. G., 2Irousi T., 2Uwvie A. M., 3Udodo S. J. and 4Brouder M. Sanusi

1Department of Chemical pathology, 2Department of Haematlogy, 3Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology and 4Department of General Medical Practice, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 15 September, 2014

Abstract

This study was undertaken to establish data on the effect of acute falciparum malaria on plasma levels some biochemical parameters in the pathology of malaria in Nigeria children. We estimated the levels of Na+ , K+, HCO3, Ca++ , inorganic PO4=, bilirubin, total protein, albumin, urea, creatinine and glucose in the plasma of 250 parasitaemic and 150 non-parasitaemic Nigerian children. Inorganic PO4=, urea, creatinine and bilirubin levels were significantly elevated in the acute falciparum malarious children than in the non-parasitaemic controls. Acute falciparum malaria resulted in significant reduction of HCO3-, total protein, albumin and glucose levels in the malarious children. There was no significant difference in the mean values of the biochemical parameters between malarious children with relative parasite count of 1-10 asexual form of parasite in 100 high power field (hpf) of thick blood film (+) and those with 11-100 asexual form of parasite in 100 hpf of thick blood film(++) .

Key words: Biochemical parameters, Nigerian children, acute falciparum malaria.