Malaria Flashcards
What type of pathogen is malaria?
Protazoa
What cell responds to parasites?
Eosinophils
If giving primaquine what must you check?
G6PD deficiency- if deficient and given primaquine could develop a haemolytic anaemia
How many types are there and name them?
- Plasmodium falciprum- the worst
- Plasmodium Vivax
- Plasmodium Ovale
- Plasmodium malariae
What is the vector?
Female anopheles mosquito
Describe the life cycle
Infected mosquito bite- invests sporozoites.
Sporozoites migrate to liver.
Sporozoites become meorzoites in hepatocytes
Merozoites released into blood.
Merozoite invade RBC.
In RBC become trophozoite which replicate and make more merozoites.
RBC ruptures and releases merozoite.
Meorzoite becomes a gametocyte which is transferred to a feeding mosquito.
Sexual cycle in the mosquito
What is the incubation period?
Can be more than 10 days
What is the ABC of malarial risk reduction?
Asses area of travel
Bite prevention
chemoprophylaxis
List 3 treatments for malaria
Artesunate
Quinine
Doxycycline
What is the drug given for latent malaria
primaquine
How does malaria present?
Fever, sweats, HA, icterus or jaundice, shaking
List complications of malaria
DIC Low WCC Thrombocytopenia Metabolic acidosis Acute respiratory distress Shock
What areas carry risk of malaria?
Africa
Asia
South America
High temp and HR
Low Sats and BP
Returned from Brazil 10 days ago.
Mild icterus, feverish, sweaty with a head ache. Patient reports extensive mosquito bites- marks visible on examination. Hepatosplenomegaly on abdo exam .
This history makes you suspect malaria, what other test will you order?
Blood smear- need triple negative to exclude
FBC- low Hb WCC and platelets CXR and head CT Coagulation- look for DIC Glucose LFT- normal Bilirubin raised CRP raised Urea and creatinine raised
