Accidental detection of malaria by the haematology analyser in a patient at the Adult Emergency Department of the Motol University Hospital.

Abstract

In a febrile patient admitted to the Adult Emergency Department, the haematology analyser detected the presence of erythrocytes infected with plasmodia. The finding was confirmed by thin smear and thick drop microscopy. A 43-year-old male patient was admitted to the Emergency Department with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and pain in the upper abdomen. He reported a history of travel to Ethiopia and a short stay in Tanzania. The Sysmex XN series haematology analyser showed the activation of the iRBC flag signalling the presence of Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes. Thin smear and thick drop microscopy confirmed the presence of malaria plasmodia in erythrocytes.