Stand-by treatment of suspected malaria in travellers.
Travellers to malarious areas are increasingly advised to carry an emergency medication for self-treatment of suspected malaria in absence of medical attention. However, no data are available so far how travellers cope with self-diagnosis and stand by treatment (SBT). We therefore investigated the frequency, circumstances and outcome of emergency self-treatment for suspected malaria in German travellers. 3434 travellers were recruited for an open prospective study by 28 different travel clinics in Germany. 2867 travellers (90.1%) who returned questionnaires after their journey were analyzed. 40 travellers (1.4%) reported about SBT during their journey. Significant Plasmodium falciparum antibody levels could be demonstrated in only 4 of 37 SBT users (10.4%). In another 127 travellers with febrile episodes but without SBT use, no malaria was indicated by follow-up and/or serology.
Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, University of Munich, Germany.
H D
HD
Nothdurft
T
T
Jelinek
S M
SM
Pechel
F
F
Hess
H
H
Maiwald
A
A
Marschang
F
F
von Sonnenburg
T
T
Weinke
T
T
Löscher
D000328:Adult; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018890:Chemoprevention; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D012651:Self Medication; D012698:Serologic Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel
D000962:Antimalarials