Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of simple clinical parameters predicting non severe malaria in pediatric patients. Study Design: Cross sectional study Place and duration of Study: This was conducted at Department of Paediatrics, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi, from February 2018-August 2018 using Non probability consecutive sampling.Material and Method: Significant clinical features were defined as presence of least three of the following clinical parameters, 1. Fever: body temperature; 370C of short duration with no focus of infection, 2.Anemia: Diagnosed by pallor of palm, tongue or conjunctive. 3. Spleenomegaly: Diagnosed when spleen was palpable on abdominal examination.4. Hepatomegaly: Diagnosed when spleen was palpable on abdominal examination. Sample of blood was taken and CBC was done, and thin and thick blood smears was prepared and stained with Giemsa stain (3% solution and 7.2 pH phosphate buffer) and reviewed by the researcher in the presence of a microbiologist with more than five years experience. Results: Mean age in our study was 6.19±3.82 years. Moreover out of 211 patients, 109 (51.7%) were male and 102 (48.3%) were female. Mean duration of disease and weight in our study was 5.40±1.71 days and 31.78±9.41 kg respectively. 203 (96.2%) had fever, 199(94.3%) had shivering, 26 (12.3%) had hepatomegaly, 56(26.5%) had spleenomegaly and 89(42.1%) had anemia. CBC analysis showed that 205(97.1%) patients had thrombocytopenia, 127 (60.1%) had anemia, and 95(45%) had leucopenia. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of clinical parameters for diagnosing non-severe malaria by taking malarial parasite as gold standard was found to be 85.48%, 82.75%, 87.60%, 80% and 84.36% respectively. Conclusion: Assessment of clinical parameters in the initial diagnostic workup of patients presenting with febrile illness, particularly those presenting with suspicion of malaria, is highly accurate in its exclusion. If clinical parameters are assessed properly they can provide reassurance to patients and physicians
Keywords: Clinical parameters, children, diagnostic accuracy and malaria.