title: Clinical diagnosis of uncomplicated malaria in Sri Lanka.
abstract: To assess the possibility of developing a protocol for the clinical diagnosis of malaria, a study was done at the regional laboratory of the Anti-Malaria Campaign in Puttalam, Sri Lanka. Of a group of 502 patients, who suspected they were suffering from malaria, 97 had a positive blood film for malaria parasites (71 Plasmodium vivax and 26 P. falciparum). There were no important differences in signs and symptoms between those with positive and those with negative blood films. It is argued that it is unlikely that health workers can improve on the diagnosis of malaria made by the patients themselves, if laboratory facilities are not available. For Sri Lanka the best option is to expand the number of facilities where microscopic examination for malaria parasites can take place.
authors.affiliation: International Irrigation Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van der Hoek
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Premasiri
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wickremasinghe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015995:Prevalence; D012040:Regional Health Planning; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology