title: Thrombocytopenia in malaria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of thrombocytopenia in malarial parasite (MP) positive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical Unit-III, Ward-7, JPMC, Karachi, from June to October 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred twenty four MP positive cases were included in the study. Infections with both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax species were included. Complete blood picture with platelet count was obtained in all patients. Thrombocytopenia was defined as platelets count of < 150,000/cmm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 124 patients of MP positive, 100 (80.6%) were found to have thrombocytopenia. Over all 64 patients had Plasmodium falciparum, while 60 patients were having Plasmodium vivax infection. The frequency of thrombocytopenia was 71.87% (n=46) in falciparum and 93.33% (n=56) in vivax infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thrombocytopenia was a common haematological finding in patients with Plasmodium infection particularly marked in vivax species infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. bilalcohussain55@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Qurban Hussain
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Shaikh
authors.forename: Syed Masroor
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Amanullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbasi
authors.forename: Shujaat Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: Abdul Aziz
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sahito
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Munir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult