Assessment of Iron and Biochemical Parameters of Malaria Patients in Maiduguri, North-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Malaria is a life-threatening disease and one of the major causes of human deaths worldwide, with countries in Africa being most affected. If left untreated, malaria can lead to anaemia and renal failure, demonstrating the need to monitor the level of electrolytes and iron among malaria infected patients. A total of one hundred and sixty (160) plasmodium parasitized subjects participated in the study, of which one hundred and thirty-nine (139) subjects tested positive for malaria parasites (+1) and twenty-one (21) were positive for malaria (+2). One hundred (100) healthy non-parasitized individuals were monitored as controls. The levels of sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, serum urea, creatinine and serum iron were determined among the subject participants, using standard techniques. It was observed that the mean serum iron, sodium, chloride, urea and creatinine levels were significantly higher in subjects which tested positive for malaria parasites (+1) when compared to the controls, while subjects with malaria positive (+2) had significantly lower serum iron when compared to the healthy controls. It was also observed that the malaria positive (+2) subjects had significantly higher
levels of urea and creatinine when compared to healthy controls. The results of the biochemical parameters in the malaria-infected subjects observed in this study is a demonstration of the need for electrolytes estimations to be incorporated in the management of the malaria infected individuals to avoid acid-base imbalance and renal impairment.