Malaria Flashcards
Malaria is transmitted by what
The bite of a female an Anopheles mosquito
What are the species that cause malaria
- P falciparum
- P vivax
- P Ovale
- P malaria
- P Knowlesi
which species caused the most dangerous infection
P falciparum
What are merozoites
Sporozoites that multiply it inside hepatocytes
What happens in the pre- erythrocytic phase
Protozoa enters via mosquito bite and travels to the liver where infects the parasites and multiplies there. The infected hepatocytes rupture and then released into the bloodstream
Which species remain dormant in the liver as hypnozoites which remain dormant and reactivate causing relapsing infection 
P. Vivax and P. Ovale
What is the erythrocytic stage
Inside the red blood cells parasites Attach through the Duffy antigen and then multiply again 
In which disease is the Duffy antigen absent
Sickle cell anemia 
Which diseases wore off malarial infection
- Sickle cell anaemia
- thalassaemia
- G6PD deficiency
Which species invades reticulocytes
P. Vivax
How does P falciparum avoid destruction in the spleen
It generates a sticky routine that coat’s the surface of infected RBCs. Looks like knobs. They block blood vessels and avoid destruction in the spleen
 What is Blackwater fever
The passage of dark urine haemoglobinuria in P. falciparum malaria infection. It is due to widespread intravascular haemolysis
What are the complications of severe falciparum malaria
- Cerebral malaria
- Blackwater fever
- DIC
- severe anaemia
- acute respiratory distress syndrome
- hypoglycaemia
- metabolic acidosis
- G.I. problems (diarrhea, jaundice, splenic rupture)
- Shock-hypotension
- hyperpyrexia
- Oliguria
- acute renal failure
What are the clinical features of P malaria
- Qurtan fever - fever reoccurs after every 72 hours
- Associate with glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome
What are the clinical features of P. Vivax and p. Ovale 
- Benign tertian malaria fever spikes every 48 hours
- anaemia with tender hepatosplenomegaly
- hypnozoites in liver can cause relapse infection
How do you diagnose malaria
- Giemsa stain stained thick and thin blood films
- Rapid stick tests that detect malarial antigens
What does thick blood smear show
Confirmation of malaria Infection
What does thin blood smear show
Identifies the species of the parasite
What are the symptoms of acute malarial infection
- Anorexia, headaches, and fevers
- Paroxysmal fever
What are the stages of paroxysmal fever
- Cold stage. patient feels very cold for about 30 minutes to an hour. Temperature rapidly rises
- Hot stage. Shivering stops patient feels intense heat
- Sweating stage. Patient breaks into profuse perspiration temperature declines. Patient feels relief
What are the clinical forms of falciparum malaria
- Cerebral malaria
- Algid malaria
- septicaemic malaria
- Blackwater fever
What is an important clinical finding of Algid malaria
Peripheral circulatory collapse
What is an important finding of septicaemic malaria
Hepatorenal syndrome and spontaneous splenic rupture
How do you treat falciparum malaria
- Quinine10 mg /KG 12 hourly IV
- blood transfusion
- Mannitol if oliguria develops