
Comparative
Study of Peripheral Blood
Smear, QBC and Antigen Detection
in Malaria Diagnosis
967-969
Correspondence
Manjunath P. Salmani M.D.
Assistant Professor,
Department of Microbiology,
Shri B.M. Patil Medical College,
Solapur Road, Bijapur-586103,
Karnataka, India.
Phone (Off): 08352 - 262770 extn 2228
(Res): 08352 - 262770 extn 2252
E-mail: drsalmani@rediffmail.com
Rapid diagnosis of malaria is pre-requisite for effective treatment and reducing mortality and morbidity of malaria. In this study, Quantitative Buffy Coat (QBC) was compared with thick and thin peripheral blood smears and malaria antigen test. A total of 387 samples were collected from patients presenting with fever and chills. Malaria was diagnosed in 60, 72 and 56 patients by Leishman staining technique, QBC method and malaria antigen test respectively. The QBC method allowed an additional 12 cases. Thus the prevalence rate of malaria during the study was 18.6%. In 315 patients who were negative by the QBC, malariaantigen test and the Leishman stained smears were also negative for malarial parasite. Although QBC method was superior to the smear for malarial parasite detection, species identification was not possible in 32 cases by this technique.
The QBC method has its advantages in terms of speed, sensitivity and ease, especially in an endemic area as ours. The QBC method helps in the diagnosis of jaundice, aplastic anaemia and kala-azar. The QBC system can also be used in the diagnosis of other parasitic diseases such as filariasis. However, Leishman stained thin blood smear still appear superior for species identification.