Electrolyte Imbalance in Pregnant Women with Malaria Parasitaemia

Department. of Medical Laboratory Science

Rivers State University of Science and Technology

Nkpolu Oroworukwo

Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Tel: +234-8038703710

Email: hbinternational2002@yahoo.com and brown.holy01@ust.edu.ng

Abstract

Malaria in pregnancy is a life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted through the bite of female anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease, yet it accounts for an estimated 660,000 deaths every year around the world mainly in Africa due to inappropriate management of imbalances in the electrolyte system of the patients. The aim of this study was to determine the severity of electrolyte imbalance in pregnant women with malaria parasitaemia. A total of 90 subject participated in the study. Sixty (60) pregnant women with malaria and thirty (30) pregnant women without malaria as control, all within the age bracket of 20 - 40 years. Analysis of the mean value of Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^- and HCO₃^- of the test group were significantly lower than the control (P < 0.05). Considering the severity of electrolyte imbalance in pregnant women with malaria, it is imperative that all pregnant women with malaria parasitaemia be managed with the view of improving the electrolyte imbalance, to avert the attendant complication of electrolyte imbalance.

Keywords: Malaria, Electrolyte, Imbalance, Hypokalacemia, Hyponatraemia, and Hypocalcamia.

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