Emerging new trends of malaria in children: a study from a tertiary care centre in northern India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Vivax malaria has long been considered a benign entity. However, an increasing number of reports are highlighting that it may no longer be so. An investigation was carried out to study the profile of malarial admissions in a tertiary care pediatric hospital and to analyse the burden of vivax-related complications.

METHODS

It is a retrospective observational study. The medical case records of all the patients admitted in the year 2011 with the clinical diagnosis of malaria and laboratory evidence in the form of positive peripheral smear and/or rapid malarial antigen test were retrieved and retrospectively analysed.

RESULTS

Overall, 198 cases were included, 128 (64.6%) were due to Plasmodium vivax, 66 (33.3%) due to P. falciparum and 4 (2%) had evidence of mixed infection of Pv + Pf. The clinical features on admission were similar in all the groups. In total, 64/128 (50%) patients with vivax infection had one or more complications with severe anemia in 33 (26%) and cerebral malaria in 16 (12.5%). Six deaths were reported in P. vivax cases. In the falciparum group, 52 (78.8%) had one or more complications with severe anemia in 37 (56.1%) and cerebral malaria in 24 (36.4%). Four deaths were reported in P. falciparum cases.

INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Overall because of their larger numbers, vivax patients outnumbered other groups, with regards to severe complications and deaths. It was concluded that vivax malaria is emerging as an important cause of malaria-related complications in children.