Malaria

Question 1

Presenting symptoms of malaria

Answer 1

• fever
• fast breathing
• coma and convulsions
• anaemia

Question 2

Drug treatment for malaria

Answer 2

• IV Quinine

Question 3

Drugs used for prophylaxis

Answer 3

• mefloquine
• doxycycline
• chloroquine

Question 4

2 major clinical syndromes of severe malaria

Answer 4

• severe malaria anaemia (parasitaemia and Hb <5)

- cerebral malaria (sustained coma with inability to localise pain)

Question 5

Characteristics of cerebral malaria

Answer 5

• deep coma
• recurrent seizures
• posturing

Question 6

Aetiology of cerebral malaria

Answer 6

Segmentation of parasitised erythrocytes in microvasculature

Decreased deformability of infected red cells