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ANALYSIS: Heidi Hopkins, Caroline Asiimwe, and David Bell Access to antimalarial therapy: accurate diagnosis is essential to achieving long term goals BMJ 2009; 339: b2606 [Full text]

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What, no parasites ?

Oliver R Dearlove   (21 August 2009)

What, no parasites ? 21 August 2009
Oliver R Dearlove, Anaesthetist Royal Manchester Children's Hospital Send response to journal: Re: What, no parasites ?	The paper article has an illustration labelled, "Light micrograph of red blood cells infected with malaria parasites." As a paediatric anaesthetist, I can see a cellular film with nucleated red blood cells - normoblasts, and the odd lymphocyte and neutrophil. This film could be normal for a very young child. I can't see any malarial parasites. Are there any ? Oliver Dearlove FRCA Luckily my job as a anaesthetist does not depend on my ability to accurately interpret blood films Competing interests: None declared