Journal of Vector Borne Diseases (Dec 2011)
Abnormal findings on dipstick urinalysis of out-patients with malaria in Abakaliki, Nigeria
Abstract
Background & objectives: Malaria, one of the major health challenges of the tropics affecting about 500million people, particularly the children and pregnant women have been associated with changes in urinecompositions. The present study was undertaken to document the urinary abnormalities in malaria patientsbased on malaria species and the level of malaria parasitaemia.Methods: Febrile patients (n = 365) with positive Giemsa-stained blood films for malaria recruited from Outpatient Department of Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki participated in the study. Patientswere classified into two categories (+ and ++) based on parasite density. Apparently healthy individuals(n = 81), without malaria parasite on both thick and thin films of comparable age and gender acted as controlgroup. Urine sample (10 ml) was collected from each participant and analysed using standard laboratorymethods and techniques.Results: Seventy-four (20.3%) of the patients had Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Although all the urineparameters were higher in the malarial patients in comparison to the control, only bilirubinuria andurobilinogenuria were statistically significant (p <0.05). Also, bilirubinuria, urobilinogenuria, haematuriaand proteinuria were significantly (p <0.05) higher in P. falciparum infection than in infections with othermalaria species, but only in P. falciparum infection, bilirubinuria and urobilinogenuria were significantly (p <0.05) higher at higher parasitaemia.Conclusion: Even though positive blood film for malaria parasite remains the gold standard for the diagnosisof malaria, urinary abnormalities, such as bilirubinuria, urobilinogenuria, proteinuria and haematuria may aidin identifying patients with severe malaria parasitaemia, especially the falciparum malaria.
