Abstract

ECHEVERRI, Marcela et al. Clinical and laboratory findings of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Colombia, 2001. Rev. Inst. Med. trop. S. Paulo [online]. 2003, vol.45, n.1, pp. 29-34. ISSN 0036-4665.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652003000100006.

A descriptive study was carried out in 104 patients with Plasmodium vivax malaria, from the region of Turbo (Antioquia, Colombia). Clinical features and levels of hemoglobin, glycemia, serum bilirubin, alanine-aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate-aminotransferase (AST), creatinine and complete blood cell profile were established. 65% of the studied individuals were men and their mean age was 23. Of all individuals 59% had lived in the region for > 1 year and 91% were resident in the rural area. 42% were farmers and 35% had a history of malaria. The mean parasitaemia was 5865 parasites/mm³. The evolution of the disease was short (average of 4.0 days). Fever, headache and chills were observed simultaneously in 91% of the cases while the most frequent signs were palmar pallor (46%), jaundice (15%), hepatomegaly (17%), and spleen enlargement (12%). Anemia was found in 39% of the women and in 51% of the men, 8% of individuals had thrombocytopaenia and 41% had hypoglycemia.

Keywords : Plasmodium vivax; Clinical; Laboratory; Non-complicated; Malaria.