Urinalysis as a diagnostic tool in severe malaria

• Published in: Biomédica
• Main Authors: Sebastián Barrera, Alberto Tobón-Castaño
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish
• Published: Instituto Nacional de Salud 2017
• Subjects: Malaria; proteinuria; haematuria; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.v37i4.3416; https://doaj.org/article/d96aa7fe2b1e4a35be0080faa92337d9

Malaria accounts for a significant morbidity and mortality rate around the world, especially in communities with limited access to healthcare. Some clinical signs in urine, like haematuria, coluria and proteinuria, help for the early diagnosis of severe malaria cases. A narrative review was conducted by analyzing 91 publications on studies about severe malaria cases and the use of urinalysis. A urinalysis can detect metabolic disturbances and organ injury. Its diagnostic utility for frequent complications caused by malaria, such as hepatic injury, kidney dysfunction and hemolysis, has been confirmed by recent Colombian studies. This test is an easy-to-use tool in outpatient clinics and with hospitalized patients to promptly recognize complicated cases, allowing the timely identification of different lesions in patients with malaria, thus contributing to the reduction of severe morbidity and mortality.