Taxonomy: f. Plasmodidae
Animal: Plasmodium spp. (research) 3 17.jpg
Sites: Blood
Comment:
Badly made thick film. Compare with other Plasmodium spp. (research) slides which have been prepared using different amounts of blood to determine the best method to diagnose the parasite infection. Too much blood was used so that the central area was too thick, did not dry properly onto the slide and was lost during staining. However, the section left would be suitable to examine. The best chance to detect parasites is several hours after the height of the paroxysm. Examine the thin film first especially around the margins of the tail and if no parasites are found after several minutes, begin to examine the thick film (as parasites are concentrated 10-20 times) and then go back to the thin film for confirming the species identification. At least 100 fields of the thick film &/or 200-300 fields of the thin film should be examined. It is important to examine both thick and thin films and when the clinical indications and history of the patient are strong, that repeat blood collections be made over a 36 hour period before ruling out a malaria infection. The history of the patient especially the drug history is important for infections of P.falciparum which is usually the only species that can rapidly lead to death. Finger prick collection is preferred as P.falciparum especially accumulates in capillaries and also anticoagulant can distort the parasites. Accurate species identification is essential for correct treatment to be administered. (See parasitology textbooks such as Garcia and Bruckner 1997 for details)

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