Response of plasmodium vivax malaria induced thrombocytopenia to antimalarial treatment

Background: thrombocytopenia is often seen in the patients of malaria infected with plasmodium vivax. we studied patients admitted in hospital having coexisting thrombocytopenia and malaria,and recorded the response to anti-malarial therapy.methods: in this cross-sectional descriptive study,a total of 120 patients admitted in medical ward with plasmodium vivax malaria and co-existing thrombocytopenia were studied.results: out of total 120 slide positive malaria patients who had low platelet count (<150x10(9) /l),platelet count increased to ≥150x10(9) /l in 73 (60.8%) patients after five days of anti-malarial therapy while in 47 (39.2%) patients thrombocytopenia persisted. after ten days of anti-malarial therapy,platelet count in all the patients recovered to ≥ 150x10(9) l. none of the patients required platelet transfusion.conclusion: in majority of the patients of plasmodium vivax malaria having thrombocytopenia,platelet count returns to normal within five to ten days of start of anti-malarial treatment and nlatelet transfusion is not required.