Urine analysis in acute malaria patients in kassala town

Abstract EN

Urine analysis for malaria patients is a topic of interest and deserves to be studied in a holo-endemic area such as Kassala town.

This study was performed on 707 patients, 365 males and 342 females of different ages ranging from five to 70 years, seen in Kassala Teaching Hospital, and nearby clinics.

These patients presented a clinical picture suggestive of malaria.

A peripheral blood smear was obtained from each patient to rule out / In malaria.

From each patient a mid-stream urine specimen was obtained and examined for protein using the sulphasalicylic acid method.

Urine specimens were centrifuged and then the deposit was examined, using high power field, for pus cells, red blood cells and casts.

Out of the 707 patients examined for malaria, 562 (79, 5%) showed positive blood film for malaria, while 145 (20.5%) were negative.

Our findings suggest that malaria may have a significant effect on the urine, especially the presence of proteinuria and to a lesser extent microscopic hematuria and casturia, and this can be confused with urinary tract infection.

Urine analysis is not a diagnostic tool in identifying patients with malaria, but a significant number of those with malaria may have protienuria.