Advanced hematology analyzers - Elite 580 & H560 with new feature of malaria parasite identification and flagging

Malaria, caused by Plasmodium parasites, poses a significant global health challenge, demanding accurate and timely diagnostic approaches. This study investigates the identification of malaria parasites using peripheral smear and validate the same as the flaggings in Haematology analyzers specifically for Plasmodium Vivax is the most widespread of all of the malaria species, can cause severe, even fatal infections and results in significant global morbidity and mortality. A cohort of 400 blood samples, evenly distributed between male and female participants, underwent analysis for the presence of the Trophozoite Form of Plasmodium vivax on peripheral smears and then on Erba 5 part Haematology analyzers Elite 580 & H560 to detect the flagging. The statistical analysis of trophozoite-positive malaria samples on both analyzers demonstrated a significant association between the two analyzers and the manual peripheral smear method. The specificity analysis revealed high accuracy for both haematology analyzers - H560 (92.95%) and Elite 580 (88.14%) in correctly identifying trophozoite-negative samples. : This study contributes essential insights into malaria diagnosis, emphasizing the need for flaggings in the CBC results. The observed specificity values and concordance between haematology analyzers provide valuable information for optimizing malaria diagnostic strategies in diverse settings.