Thrombocytopenia in Malaria in Children

Abstract

Introduction: Malaria is a cause of high mortality and morbidity. In 2022 during August-September, there was a sudden increment in malaria cases among children in our hospital. We evaluated the role of platelet count to diagnose malarial infection in children. Methodology: This study included paediatric patients seen in August-September of 2022 in BCM Hospital, Khairabad, Sitapur for fever who had thrombocytopenia in their first complete blood count report. This research comprised 230 children with fever and thrombocytopenia. Results: It was found that a moderate to severe platelet count decline was 86.21 per cent sensitive and 56.14 per cent specific for malaria with high negative and positive predictive values. Conclusion: In conclusion, moderate to severe thrombocytopenia is a key indicator of malaria, hence all children with fever and thrombocytopenia should be tested for malaria. If moderate to severe thrombocytopenia is seen, further specialised tests such as repeated peripheral blood smears, ELISA for parasite-specific antigens, etc. should be done.