Prevalence of malarial recurrence and hematological alteration following the initial drug regimen: a retrospective study in Western Thailand

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 1294 - 8
• Main Authors: Kotepui, Manas, Punsawad, Chuchard, Kotepui, Kwuntida Uthaisar, Somsak, Voravuth, Phiwklam, Nuoil, PhunPhuech, Bhukdee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 15.10.2019; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis; Antimalarials; Antimalarials - therapeutic use; Biostatistics; Blood tests; Careers; Child; Child, Preschool; Data analysis; Drugs; Environmental Health; Epidemiology; Erythrocyte Indices - drug effects; Female; Headache; Hematological parameters; Hematology; Hemoglobin; Hospitals; Human rights; Human subjects; Humans; Infant; Infection; Infections; Infectious Disease epidemiology; Laboratories; Leukocytes; Leukocytes - drug effects; Malaria; Malaria - drug therapy; Malaria - epidemiology; Malarial drugs; Malarial recurrence; Male; Medical technology; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neutrophils; Parasites; Patient outcomes; Patients; Plasmodium; Plasmodium falciparum; Prevalence; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Public Health; Recurrence; Recurrence (Disease); Research Article; Retrospective Studies; Studies; Thailand - epidemiology; Treatment Outcome; Vaccine; Vector-borne diseases; Young Adult; Thailand; Malarial drugs; Malarial recurrence; Malaria; Hematological parameters
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7624-1

Background The hematological changes following the initial drug regimen has been poorly understood in Thailand. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of malaria parasite recurrence and hematological alteration of patients during the initial drug regimen. Methods A retrospective study was conducted at Phop Phra Hospital, Tak Province, located in northwestern Thailand. All data from patients who were diagnosed with Plasmodium spp. infection – including types of Plasmodium spp., clinical characteristics, and hematological parameters – were retrieved and analyzed. Results The results demonstrated that during years 2012–2018, 95 out of 971 patients (9.78%) were infected with malaria two or more times. The gender, nationality, symptom of headache, type of Plasmodium spp., and career of each patient were associated with recurrence ( P -value< 0.05). Among patients treated with malarial drug, the leukocyte count and red cell distribution width (RDW) were significantly changed when compared to untreated patients with recurrence (P-value< 0.05). Conclusion This study indicated the high prevalence of malarial recurrence in Tak Province, Western Thailand, and its relationship to certain characteristics of individuals. Patients who were treated with antimalarial drugs exhibited leukocyte and RDW changes following the initial drug regimen. This data could be useful for prompt detection, treatment, and prevention of malarial recurrence in endemic areas of Thailand.