Question: What can a pregnant women affected with malaria trophozoite of p. Falciparum (++) do? Can she take chloroquine inside drip? Answer: It depends on whether the P. falciparum in that area is chloroquine-sensitive. If yes, then chloroquine is an appropriate treatment (although it is usually given orally). However, if the P. falciparum is known to be resistant to chloroquine (as it is in … [Read more...]
Malaria Diagnosis
QUESTION My body is getting hotter after taking artesunate and mtivitamen tablet, the pain subsides, but later in the evening my body starts getting hotter, I have taken almost four artesunate, yet the body pain and headache refuse to go, pls sir is it malaria or what. ANSWER Unfortunately the symptoms of malaria are quite general, and just having a fever could be a sign of malaria but … [Read more...]
Antimalarial Drugs During pPregnancy
QUESTION What is the safest antimalarial drug to be used by a pregnant woman in her second trimester? ANSWER With regards to treating malaria, intravenous artesunate (or quinine, if artesunate is not available) should be used for the treatment of severe/complicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Signs of severe and/or complicated malaria include impaired consciousness, organ failure, … [Read more...]
Malaria Treatments
QUESTION What are the of different types of antimalaria drugs? ANSWER Most drugs used in treatment are active against the parasite forms in the blood (the form that causes disease) and include: chloroquine atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone®) artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem®) artesunate-pyronaridine (Pyramax®) dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (Duo-Cotecxin®) mefloquine … [Read more...]
Treatment Outcome of Intravenous Artesunate in Patients with Severe Malaria in the Netherlands and Belgium
Intravenous (IV) artesunate is the treatment of choice for severe malaria. In Europe, however, no GMP-manufactured product is available and treatment data in European travellers are scarce. Fortunately, artesunate became available in the Netherlands and Belgium through a named patient programme. This is the largest case series of artesunate treated patients with severe malaria in Europe. … [Read more...]
Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Malaria in Papua New Guinean Infants Exposed to Plasmodium falciparum and P. Vivax
Intermittent preventive treatment in infants (IPTi) has been shown in randomized trials to reduce malaria-related morbidity in African infants living in areas of high Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) transmission. It remains unclear whether IPTi is an appropriate prevention strategy in non-African settings or those co-endemic for P. vivax (Pv). Methods and Findings In this study, 1,121 Papua New … [Read more...]
P. Falciparum Malaria Treatment
QUESTION I dont have high fever yet have been diagnosed with P. falciparum malaria. How can this disease be treated and is it completely curable? ANSWER Don't worry, if diagnosed early and given appropriate treatment, P. falciparum infection is very easily cured. You should be given a type of medication called artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). An example is Coartem, which is a … [Read more...]
Malaria Medication Side Effects
QUESTION My mother is an old patient of arthritis. She has also had a long stint with asthma and tuberculosis. She has presently been diagnosed with urine infection but was treated with malaria medicines artesunate and primaquine phosphate. What side effects could she possibly develop by wrong administration of malaria medicines? ANSWER Luckily there are few major side effects associated … [Read more...]
Drugs to Treat Pregnant Woman with Malaria
QUESTION: What are the drugs for a pregnant woman who has malaria for the first to third trimester? ANSWER: The treatment of malaria in pregnant women has become more challenging in recent years, as many types of malaria are developing resistance to the standard arsenal of drugs. In locations where the dominant form of malaria is still chloroquine-sensitive, chloroquine can be used safely … [Read more...]
Diagnosis of malaria or another condition?
QUESTION: Patient is responding to malaria intravenous medicines but the blood test are not showing any strains of malaria parasites. Is it possible it is malaria or some other disease? ANSWER: I'm afraid it is hard to answer this without more information regarding what steps have been taken to diagnose infection, what medication is being given, and what other clinical information is … [Read more...]