ISSN 0303-5212
 

Original Research 
RMJ. 2019; 44(4): 690-693


Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

Pushpa Valiram, Shaima Sultana Memon, Sumera Shaikh, Shahnwar Ali Khawaja, Asha Mahesh.

Abstract
Objective: To determine the prevalence and types of intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methodology: This cross-sectional questionnaire based study was carried out in the Pediatrics Department of the Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi, from May to November 2017. All consecutive children ≤12 years of age presenting with various gastrointestinal complaints were included. Data collection was carried out by medical students of Dow Medical College, Karachi.
Results: Out of 90 stool samples, 68 (76.0%) showed presence of either cyst or ova of the intestinal parasites. Of these 68 children, 23 were male and 45 were female (M: F ratio: 1:2). Forty five (66.2%) children had Ascaris lumbricoides and 23 (33.8%) had Enterobius vermicularis. 90% of children in the 0-4 year age group had pica, while only 10% in the 5-8 year age group had pica.
Conclusion: There is high prevalence of IPIs in children with gastrointestinal symptoms from Karachi. A local surveillance and disease notification program is required. The health authorities should take immediate steps to control the prevalence of IPIs to reduce its health care burden in our society and save our children from the associated health risks.

Key words: Intestinal parasites, children, pica, personal hygiene, predisposing factors, stool examination.


 
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How to Cite this Article
Pubmed Style

Valiram P, Memon SS, Shaikh S, Khawaja SA, Mahesh A. Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. RMJ. 2019; 44(4): 690-693.


Web Style

Valiram P, Memon SS, Shaikh S, Khawaja SA, Mahesh A. Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. https://www.rmj.org.pk/?mno=45766 [Access: December 06, 2023].


AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Valiram P, Memon SS, Shaikh S, Khawaja SA, Mahesh A. Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. RMJ. 2019; 44(4): 690-693.



Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Valiram P, Memon SS, Shaikh S, Khawaja SA, Mahesh A. Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. RMJ. (2019), [cited December 06, 2023]; 44(4): 690-693.



Harvard Style

Valiram, P., Memon, . S. S., Shaikh, . S., Khawaja, . S. A. & Mahesh, . A. (2019) Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. RMJ, 44 (4), 690-693.



Turabian Style

Valiram, Pushpa, Shaima Sultana Memon, Sumera Shaikh, Shahnwar Ali Khawaja, and Asha Mahesh. 2019. Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Rawal Medical Journal, 44 (4), 690-693.



Chicago Style

Valiram, Pushpa, Shaima Sultana Memon, Sumera Shaikh, Shahnwar Ali Khawaja, and Asha Mahesh. "Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan." Rawal Medical Journal 44 (2019), 690-693.



MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Valiram, Pushpa, Shaima Sultana Memon, Sumera Shaikh, Shahnwar Ali Khawaja, and Asha Mahesh. "Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan." Rawal Medical Journal 44.4 (2019), 690-693. Print.



APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Valiram, P., Memon, . S. S., Shaikh, . S., Khawaja, . S. A. & Mahesh, . A. (2019) Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Rawal Medical Journal, 44 (4), 690-693.