Last Updated on January 17, 2023 by Shabnam Sengupta
Malaria is a dangerous blood illness that is primarily spread by mosquitoes. Humans contract the plasmodium parasite from the Anopheles mosquito. These parasites are the source of the fever, chills, and headaches associated with malaria. The condition can range from uncomplicated to severe. Therefore, you should consult a doctor and take the prescribed medicines to cure malaria. This article lists the factors affecting that disease’s treatment as well as the methods used for both uncomplicated and severe cases.
Which factors influence the treatment of malaria?
The World Health Organisation advises treating patients in malaria-endemic regions within 24 hours of the onset of their initial symptoms. Treatment is typically based on the type of infecting parasite, the patient’s clinical condition, any accompanying illnesses or conditions, pregnancy, drug allergies, or other medications the patient is taking, the location of the infection, and the presence of antimalarial drug resistance.
What is the treatment for uncomplicated malaria?
Uncomplicated malaria manifests as fever, chills, sweats, headaches, muscle aches, nausea, and vomiting. Patients can receive outpatient treatment using the recommended medication. The majority of drugs prescribed for treating mild cases of malaria in endemic areas are effective against blood-borne parasite types. The most frequently prescribed antimalarial therapy includes artemisinin-based combination treatments, chloroquine, mefloquine, and quinine.
For some types of malaria, including P. falciparum, P. vivax, and P. ovale, the doctor may employ a different drug, primaquine. It works well against the liver forms of dormant parasites and can stop relapses of P. vivax and P. ovale. However, doctors should not give primaquine to G6PD-deficient individuals or pregnant women.
How should severe malaria be treated?
When an infection worsens by significant organ failure or irregularities in the patient’s blood or metabolism, severe malaria develops. Such patients must be admitted to the hospital right away. Additionally, patients with severe P. falciparum malaria or those who are unable to take oral medications should receive treatment in a hospital setting via continuous parenteral infusion.
For the treatment of severe P. falciparum malaria in both adults and children, the World Health Organisation suggests injectable artesunate. However, parenteral artemether and quinine are suitable substitutes if artesunate is not available for the treatment of severe malaria. Some malaria-endemic countries advise that doctors should give pre-referral medications by suppository or injection before referring a seriously ill patient to a hospital for long-term care.
You must take a full course of oral antimalarial medications, typically an artemisinin-based combination therapy or, if the first option is not available, quinine plus doxycycline or quinine plus clindamycin after intravenous therapy.
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