Malaria Flashcards
What are the five species of malaria which affect humans?
Plasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium vivax
Plasmodium ovale
Plasmodium malariae
Plasmodium knowlesi
What is the most severe species of malaria
Plasmodium falciparum
What is the vector for malaria?
Female Anopheles mosquito
Incubation period for malaria
6 days to 1 year
P. falciparum - up to 4 weeks
P. vivax/ovale - up to 1 year
What can the incubation time of plasmodium falciparum be?
Up to 4 weeks
What can the incubation time of plasmodium vivax/ovale be?
Up to 1 year
Presentation of malaria
- rigors
- paroxysmal fever
- malaise
- headache
- myalgia
- abdominal pain
- N+V
- jaundice + hepatosplenomegaly in later stage
What is paroxysm fever?
Fever that occurs in short bursts
Investigation needed for suspected malaria
Blood film x3 - thick + thin
Blood tests -FBC, U&E, LFT
Chest X ray
Head CT - neurological symptoms
Investigation findings of malaria
- seen on blood film
- anaemia
- thrombocytopenia
- leukopenia
- abnormal LFTs
- high urea, bilirubin + CRP
What is the characteristic image in malaria blood film?
Headphone/wedding ring
What investigation findings exclude malaria?
three negative blood film samples taken over 3 consecutive days
How do you grade the severity of malaria?
Parasitaemia
>5% indicates severe malaria
Calculated by the thin blood film
Complicated vs uncomplicated malaria
- uncomplicated is less severe symptoms i.e no signs of organ dysfunction or life threatening complications | often caused by P.vivax/ovale/malariae
- complicated is life threatening + involves organ dysfunction + high parastic load | most commonly caused by P.falciparum
Treatment of uncomplicated malaria
- first line: artemether + lumefantrine
- quinine + doxycycline
- malarone (proguanil + atovaquone)
- chloroquine (not P.falciparum)
- primaquine