EFFECT OF COARTEM ON METHAEMOGLOBIN, OXYHAEMOGLOBIN AND PACKED CELL VOLUME AMONG RIVERS STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN NIGERIA
Christian Serekara Gideon*, Eze Evelyn Mgbeoma and Dresmann Ebiye Mary
ABSTRACT
Malaria as a disease sickens and kills human through several pathological mechanisms that is understood to varying degrees. The reason for treatment is to prevent death or long-term deficits or complications from malaria parasitaemia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of coartem on methaemoglobin, oxyhaemoglobin and packed cell volume. Fifty-eight blood samples were collected from forty (40) subjects recruited from Rivers State University (RSU). Twenty (20) subjects were apparently healthy, and were used as control subjects (without malaria); twenty (20) subjects were those with malaria parasite (blood samples were collected from twenty (20) of them before medication, while blood samples were collected from eighteen (18) of them after they were given coartem antimalaria medication). Packed cell volume, methaemoglobin and oxyhaemoglobin concentration were analyzed in these subjects. Results revealed concentration of oxyhaemoglobin in control group to be 10.46 ± 1.51g/dl, malaria positive group before medication had 17.21 ± 3.45g/dl while group after medication had 11.21 ± 1.65g/dl, indicating statistical significance at p<0.05 (control vs after medication group showed no statistical significance; control vs malaria group before medication; and after medication group vs malaria group before medication showed statistical significance at p<0.05). Packed cell volume of control group was 45.45 ± 1.51%, malaria group before medication was 39.25 ± 5.99% while group after medication was 11.21 ± 1.65%, with statistical significance at p<0.05 (control vs after medication group was not significant, whereas control vs malaria group before medication; and after medication vs malaria group before medication was statistically significant at p<0.05). Methaemoglobin percentage in control group was 0.87 ± 0.19%, malaria group before medication was 3.23 ± 2.14%, while after medication group had 3.80 ± 2.31%. These results was significant at p<0.05 (control vs after medication group was significant at p<0.05, whereas control vs malaria group before medication; and after medication vs malaria group before medication; was not significant at p<0.05). This study has therefore indicated that malaria parasitaemia causes a reduction in packed cell volume and increases the methaemoglobin and oxyhaemoglobin levels of subjects with malaria, and that the administration of coartem as an antimalarial possesses little effect in restoring these differences.
Keywords: Coartem, Methaemoglobin, Oxyhaemoglobin, Packed Cell Volume, Rivers State University.
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