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Background & Objectives: Acute renal failure (ARF) is a known manifestation of severe Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria but recently it has also been observed with P. vivax (Pv) monoinfection. A clinical observational study has been conducted to evaluate the clinical and histopathological profile of ARF in malaria., Methods: This study was conducted on 288 consecutive cases of malaria with monoinfection (Pf 191 and Pv 97) diagnosed by peripheral blood film examination and rapid card test. ARF was diagnosed as per WHO criterion (serum creatinine >3 mg%). The data were analysed by Standard t-test using ANOVA software., Results: ARF was seen in 52 cases of Pf and 14 cases of Pv malaria. Mean age was 32.58 yr (ranging 15-65; Pf 33.37 and Pv 29.14) and male to female ratio was 2:1 (Pf 3:1 and Pv 1:1). Most of the cases developed ARF within 10 days of onset of the disease. Associated severe manifestations were jaundice (53 cases: Pf 44 and Pv 9), cerebral malaria (28 cases: Pf 25 and Pv 3), severe anemia (18 cases: Pf 17 and Pv 1), hypotension (16 cases: Pf 11 and Pv 5), bleeding manifestations (16 cases: Pf 14 and Pv 2), multiorgan failure (12 cases: Pf 9 and Pv 3) and ARDS (6 cases: Pf 5 and Pv 1). Kidney biopsy (16 Pf and 2 Pv) showed acute tubular necrosis (5 Pf and 1 Pv), mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (2 Pf) or both (9 Pf and 1 Pv). Haemodialysis was done in 7 (Pf 4 and Pv 3) cases, out of which four survived. Most of the cases (48.49%) recovered within two weeks (range 3-20 days). Total mortality was 27.27% (Pf 28.85% and Pv 21.43%)., Interpretation & Conclusion: ARF can also be caused by vivax monoinfection with similar clinical and histopathological features although outcome is less severe as compared to falciparum monoinfection.

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the effect of combination treatment of quinine and rabeprazole in the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria., Methods: The study included 50 patients of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Group 1 (25 patients) received quinine and placebo (Q+P) while Group 2 (25 patients) received quinine and rabeprazole (Q+R). Diagnosis was confirmed by peripheral blood film (PBF) and rapid diagnostic test (RDT). Temperature was recorded every 6 h. All patients were followed-up on Days 7, 14, 21, 28 for detailed clinical and parasitological examination., Results: A total of 20 patients in each group completed the treatment and followed-up for 28 days. While two patients in Group 1 (Q+P) and one patient in Group 2 (Q+R) were lost in follow-up; and seven (Q+P = 4, Q+R =3) patients were withdrawn from the study. Fever clearance time (FCT) of the two groups was also almost similar (Group 1 : 2 = 52.8 : 51.3 h). No statistically significant difference was observed in early treatment failure (ETF) either of the groups. None of the patients in both the groups showed late clinical failure (LCF) or late parasitological failure (LPF). However, there was a significant difference in the parasite clearance rates of the two groups (p<0.05)., Conclusion: The study results suggest that addition of rabeprazole to quinine regimen resulted in an increase in the parasite elimination rate, which may be helpful in reducing the duration of treatment and increasing patient compliance.

Background & Objectives: This study was conducted on 50 patients of Anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (oriental sore) to assess the efficacy of rifampicin and omeprazole through a double blind, randomised placebo control study., Methods: The diagnosis of Anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) caused by Leishmania tropica was done by demonstration of Leishmania tropica (LT) bodies from the painless, dry ulcerative lesion. Each patient was assessed clinically in the beginning of the study, at the end of 2,4 and 6 weeks and all observations were compared in both the groups. Twenty-five patients received rifampicin with omeprazole (Group A) whereas other 25 patients received placebo (Group B) for a period of six weeks., Results: Altogether 23 cases in group Aand 21 cases in group B completed the study. About 16 (69.7%) cases in group A and 3 (14.29%) cases in group B had complete healing, whereas 3 patients (13.04%) of group A and 4 patients (19.05%) of group B had partial response and 4 patients (17.93%) of group A and 14 patients (66.67%) of group B had no response at the end of study. The difference of two groups was statistically highly significant (p < 0.00025). All patients tolerated the drug and placebo very well and no side effect was reported., Interpretation & Conclusion: In our opinion rifampicin and omeprazole is a highly effective, less toxic and cheaper alternative for the management of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Background & Objectives: Recently there were reports from all over India about changing spectrum of clinical presentation of severe malaria. The present study was planned to study the same in the northwest India., Methods: This prospective study was conducted on patients of severe malaria admitted in a classified malaria ward of a tertiary care hospital in Bikaner, Rajasthan (northwest India) during 1994 and 2001. It included adult patients of both sexes belonging to all age groups. The diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum was confirmed by demonstrating asexual form of parasites in peripheral blood smear. All patients were treated with i.v./oral quinine. The specific complications were treated by standard WHO protocol. The data for individual complications for both the years were analysed by applying chi-square test., Results: In a prospective study in 1994 the spectrum of complication was dominated by cerebral malaria (25.75%) followed by jaundice (11.47%), bleeding tendencies (9.59%), severe anaemia (5.83%), shock (5.26%), Acute respiratory distress syndrome-ARDS (3.01%), renal failure (2.07%) and hypoglycemia (2.07%) whereas in 2001 it was dominated by jaundice (58.85%) followed by severe anaemia (26.04%), bleeding tendencies (25.52%), shock (10.94%), cerebral malaria (10.94%), renal failure (6.25%), ARDS (2.08%) and hypoglycemia (1.56%). The sharp difference for presence of jaundice and severe anaemia in 2001 and cerebral malaria in 1994 was statistically significant. Similarly, the important cause of mortality in 2001 was multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (71.10%) with predominant presentation of jaundice and renal failure, whereas in 1994, it was cerebral malaria (77.96%)., Interpretation & Conclusion: The observation of changing spectrum of severe malaria in this study and a significant increase in presentation with jaundice as an important manifestation is highly essential for primary, secondary and tertiary level health care providers for proper diagnosis and management.

Background & Objectives: Jaundice is one of the common manifestations of severe malaria in adults. The purpose of this study is to compare the pattern of clinical and biochemical parameters such as serum bilirubin and liver enzyme levels in patients of malaria with jaundice and acute viral hepatitis., Methodology: The present study was conducted on 34 patients of malaria with jaundice and 15 patients of acute viral hepatitis. Estimation of serum bilirubin, aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase was done daily using standard procedures in malaria patients and weekly in acute viral hepatitis patients., Results: Mean level of serum bilirubin on first day in malaria and acute viral hepatitis patients was 7.07 +/- 3.94 and 10.38 +/- 7.87 mg%, whereas on Day 8 it was 1.19 +/- 1.43 and 7.88 +/- 7.02 mg% respectively. Mean level of AST on Day 1 in malaria and acute viral hepatitis patients was 158.47 +/- 120.35 and 1418.6 +/- 834.11 IU/L, whereas on Day 8 it was 41 +/- 28.33 and 775.3 +/- 399.01 IU/L respectively. Mean level of ALT on Day 1 in malaria and acute viral hepatitis patients was 220.14 +/- 145.61 and 1666.67 +/- 1112.77 IU/L, whereas on Day 8 it was 50.85 +/- 37.31 and 823.8 +/- 475.06 IU/L respectively. Mean level of serum alkaline phosphatase on Day 1 in malaria and acute viral hepatitis patients was 394.74 +/- 267.78 and 513.4 +/- 324.7 IU/L, whereas on Day 8 it was 84.76 +/- 68.50 and 369.27 +/- 207.75 IU/L respectively., Interpretation & Conclusion: We observed that resolution of jaundice in malaria took 1-2 weeks in contrast 6 to 8 weeks in viral hepatitis. This difference in duration was statistically significant. Thus, jaundice not resolving in 1-2 weeks time in a patient of malaria requires serious consideration for presence of other concomitant diseases including viral hepatitis.