Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25888823›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2015

Surmised total leucocyte counts miscalculate the parasite index of Plasmodium vivax malaria patients of tertiary and primary care settings in South-Western India.

Kumar Rishikesh, Sathish Kitta Madivala, Prashantha Prabhu, Asha Kamath, Herikudru Ashok, Sudha Vidyasagar, Ananthakrishna Barkur Shastry, Kavitha Saravu

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Malaria journal, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Therapeutic Assessment of Primaquine for Radical Cure ofThe Korean journal of parasitology · 2016
    Observational
  4. Article
  5. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Kumar RishikeshDepartment of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India. rishikeshkumar@live.in.
Sathish Kitta MadivalaDepartment of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India. sathishuppoor@yahoo.com.
Prashantha PrabhuDepartment of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India. prashanthprabhu88@gmail.com.
Asha KamathDepartment of Community Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India. aashakamat@gmail.com.
Herikudru AshokDistrict Malaria Office, Udupi, Karnataka, India. dmoudp@yahoo.co.in.
Sudha VidyasagarDepartment of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India. vsagar33@yahoo.com.
Ananthakrishna Barkur ShastryDepartment of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India. shastryba@yahoo.co.in.
Kavitha SaravuDepartment of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India. kavithasaravu@gmail.com.
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal · INManipal Academy of Higher Education · INNational Institute of Malaria Research · IN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFor the calculation of parasite index (PI) by microscopy method, an assumed total leucocyte count (TLC) of 8,000/μL is used conventionally. However, due to obvious variation in the population and individual TLCs, use of 8,000/μL may result in either over/underestimation of the PI.

methodsThis study was aimed at ascertaining the utility of 8,000/μL TLC, as well as other assumed TLCs, with respect to measured TLC for the calculation of PI. A tertiary care hospital and five primary health centres were the base for the prospective study conducted among microscopically proven, symptomatic Plasmodium vivax mono-infection patients aged ≥18 years. PIs calculated by assumed TLCs ranging from 4,000-11,000/μL were compared with those calculated by measured TLCs. Geometric mean with 95% confidence interval, Bland-Altman plot and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for statistical analysis.

resultsA total of 284 P. vivax mono-infection patients, including 156 from a tertiary care hospital and 128 from five primary health centres, were recruited in the study. Assumed TLCs below 5,000 cell/μL and above 5,500 cell/μL in tertiary care setting resulted in significant (p <0.05) underestimation and overestimation, respectively. However, in primary health centres, it was an assumed TLC of 5,000 cell/μL, below and above which there was significant (p <0.05) underestimation and overestimation observed, respectively.

conclusionsAssumed TLC of 8,000/μL is not suitable for the calculation of PI. Either actual TLC of the patient should be measured or a representative TLC should be derived for the population under investigation for any study requiring calculated PI by microscopy.

Indexed as

Leukocyte CountAdolescentAdultAgedFemaleHumansIndiaMalaria, VivaxMaleMiddle AgedParasite LoadPlasmodium vivaxProspective StudiesYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID25888823
PMCPMC4405837
OpenAlexW2138347297

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.