BACKGROUND: Malaria remains a major health hazard in developing countries like India. The present study is aimed to study clinical profile and complications of malaria in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: This study was done at the S.T.M. Govt. Hospital, GMC Haldwani, a tertiary care hospital in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. A total of 50 cases were included in the study that were positive for malaria parasites, P. vivax and P. falciparum on peripheral smear examination with conventional microscopy and / or by rapid diagnostic test. Results: In our study predominant symptoms were fever (100%), vomiting (60%), headache (70%) and jaundice (40%) and signs were splenomegaly (70%), pallor (64%), icterus (40%), and hepatomegaly (10%). In this study, 34% patients suffered from uncomplicated malaria and 66% from complicated malaria. Anemia and hyperbilirubinemia was the most frequently encountered combination of complications. Conclusions: P. vivax was the major parasite type causing malaria, affecting mainly younger population and causing severe malaria.
