Comparative study of serum electrolyte levels between uncomplicated and complicated (Severe) malarial patients

Malaria is one of the most important public illness in India. It's a mosquito borne disorder which spreads by the bite of the anopheles mosquito. Electrolytes (sodium& potassium) are very important for the normal functioning of the human body. Electrolyte disturbances are seen in difficult complicated (severe) malaria. However very few studies have been done on uncomplicated malarial patients and outcome published are contrasting so we decided to undertake this study. We determined the serum electrolyte levels in 25 uncomplicated and 25 complicated malarial patients. Majority of complicated malarial sufferers had hyponatremia and hypokalemia in comparison with uncomplicated malarial patients and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant. It was concluded that hyponatraemia and hypokalaemia are long-established in malaria and they're chiefly associated with the complicated (severe) varieties of falciparum and vivax malaria than with uncomplicated malaria.