Year :
2021
| Month :
March
| Volume :
15
| Issue :
3
| Page :
OC22 - OC25
Full Version
Clinical Significance of Hypocalcaemia in Malaria:
An Experience from Coastal Karnataka, India
Published: March 1, 2021 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2021/47183.14636
Avinash N Shetty, Akshatha Rao Aroor, Archana Bhat
1. Consultant, Department of General Medicine, Hemalatha Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
2. Associate Professor, Department of General Medicine, Father Muller Medical College, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India.
3. Associate Professor, Department of General Medicine, Father Muller Medical College, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India.
Correspondence Address :
Dr. Akshatha Rao Aroor,
101, Saraswathi Residency, Bejai Kapikad 4th Cross,
Mangaluru-575004, Karnataka, India.
E-mail: akshathaaroor55@gmail.com
Abstract
Introduction: Malaria is a major public health problem leading to significant morbidity and mortality in endemic regions. Malaria is a major public health problem in India, which contributes significantly to the overall malaria burden in Southeast Asia. Data on significance of hypocalcaemia in malaria is scarce.
Aim: To correlate hypocalcaemia with the complications in malaria.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted at Father Muller Medical College in Coastal Karnataka between January 2018 to June 2019. Patients diagnosed as malaria by peripheral smear were included. Serum calcium level was measured in all the patients and calcium levels <8.4 mg/dL was considered as hypocalcaemia. This was correlated with the complications such as jaundice, acute kidney injury, cerebral malaria, shock, multiorgan dysfunction and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in malaria. Data were analysed using frequency, percentages, Chi-square test, student t-test, relative risk estimation and Receiver operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis.
Results: A total of seventy five patients with malaria were included in the study. Majority were in the age group of 21-30 years (30.6%), with a male predominance (53 patients, 70.67%). Among these patients, complications were documented in 18 (24%) of them. Hypocalcaemia was seen in 25 patients (33.3%) among whom 13 (52%) had complications. The association of hypocalcaemia with the complications was statistically highly significant (p=0.001). Patients with hypocalcaemia had a relative risk of 9.75% (2.901-32.766, 95% CI) for developing complications. With ROC analysis, the calcium value cut-off for complications was 8.25 with a sensitivity of 72% and specificity of 86%. Calcium reverted to normal in all patients after recovery from complications.
Conclusion: Hypocalcaemia had a significant association with high specificity for complications in malaria.
Keywords
Calcium, Falicparum, QT Prolongation, South India
DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2021/47183.14636
Date of Submission: Oct 13, 2020
Date of Peer Review: Nov 05, 2020
Date of Acceptance: Dec 06, 2020
Date of Publishing: Mar 01, 2021
AUTHOR DECLARATION:
• Financial or Other Competing Interests: None
• Was Ethics Committee Approval obtained for this study? Yes
• Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? Yes
• For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. NA
PLAGIARISM CHECKING METHODS:
• Plagiarism X-checker: Oct 14, 2020
• Manual Googling: Dec 04, 2020
• iThenticate Software: Dec 23, 2020 (11%)
ETYMOLOGY: Author Origin
|