A prospective study of comparison of clinical profile, complication and outcome of plasmodium vivax versus plasmodium falciparum in children

Introduction: Malaria is a life – threatening disease but is curable and preventable. As per data of WHO in 2017, there were an estimated 219 million cases of malaria in 90 countries. As plasmodium Vivax malaria has been considered to have a benign course with less mortality, most of the research is focussed on plasmodium falciparum. But in recent years there are number of studies conducted in India and other countries has highlighted that plasmodium vivax can cause severe and fatal malaria, in paediatric patients. Based on this background we have designed a prospective study to evaluate clinical profile, complication and outcome of plasmodium vivax and compare it with plasmodium falciparum malaria. Materials and Methods: Present study is a prospective study conducted in the department of paediatrics Konaseema institute of medical science Amalapuram Andhra Pradesh during the period from Jan 2015 to October 2018.Data regarding patient age, sex clinical presentation, investigation, complication and outcome are recorded. Lab investigation like haemoglobin, total leukocyte cannot platelet count, bleeding time, clotting time, blood sugar, blood urea, serum creatinine, serum Bilirubin, SGOT and SUPT were some for all these investigation standard laboratory procedure was followed. Result: In present study 60 patient admitted with proven malaria to our hospital were analysed. Severe malaria was present in 4(11.12%) p. vivax infection patients and in 2(8.41) P. falciparum infection patient. 4 patients having bleeding manifestation in vivax group and 2 patient having bleeding manifestation in P. falciparum group. Jaundice was present in 4 p. vivax infection patients and 2 P. falciparum infection patients. 12 (33.33%) P .vivax patients were presented with shock, 8(33.33%) patient in falciparum group presented with shock. Renal failure was present in 4(11.12%) p value patient and 2 (8.4%) patients with P falciparum infection. Cerebral malaria was present in 3(8.33%) p. vivax infection patient and 2(8.4%) p. falciparum patients. 2(5.56%) patient in P.vivax infection and 1(11.1%) patient in p. falciparum developed ARDS/pulmonary edema. Discussion and Conclusion: From present study we would like to conclude that both type of infection were presented with complication, organomegaly was common in Vivax infection but thrombocytopenia was common in falciparum infection. Hepatic and renal complications were more common in Vivax patients cerebral malaria was present in both groups.