Pernicious syndromes in Plasmodium infections.

Records of 560 male patients with Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum infection, who were admitted to a military hospital in the northeastern sector of India during the period from June, 1978, to June, 1980, have been analysed to establish the prevalence of pernicious syndromes. One hundred and seventy-eight patients (31.8%) had P. vivax malaria, 309 (55.1%) had P. falciparum malaria, and the remaining 73 (13.1%) were found to have mixed infection (P. vivax and P. falciparum). Pernicious syndromes with single or multiple organ involvement, of which cerebral and haemopoietic complications were the most common (29.4% and 47.1% respectively), were seen in 68 patients. While the fewest complications occurred with P. vivax malaria (in only 2.3% of cases), complications were present in 27.4% of cases of mixed infection, and in 14.2% of cases of pure P. falciparum malaria. Awareness of changing and atypical manifestations and early recognition with timely institution of specific therapy determine the chances of recovery from this preventable disease.