[Successful management of malaria tropica with 50% parasitaemia].
METHODS
A 52-year-old woman was hospitalized with fever after a 3-week stay in tropical Kenya. Prophylaxis against malaria had been carried out with chloroquine.


METHODS
Falciparum malaria with 28% parasitaemia at first examination, rising to 50% after 3 hours.


METHODS
Treatment with quinine dihydrochloride i.v. was initiated immediately after diagnosis. In addition, in view of increasing parasitemia of up to 50%, a partial exchange blood transfusion was carried out. No clinical signs of organ damage caused by malaria were observed. Because of a drop in blood pressure the patient needed catecholamine treatment for a short time. After decrease of the parasitemia the patient rapidly recovered and complete cure was achieved.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite extremely high parasitemia the clinical signs were unusually mild. Standard treatment for severe malaria is intravenous administration of quinine. However, this drug is no longer sold in Germany, so that difficulty in obtaining it must be expected. A stockpiling of quinine is recommended for hospitals treating patients with malaria. Transfusion may improve outcome and must be considered if parasite counts are high or if there are clinical signs of malaria complications.
Reichard
U
U
Abteilung für Medizinische Mikrobiologie des Zentrums Hygiene und Humangenetik, Universitätsklinik Göttingen, Göttingen. ureicha@gwdg.de
Möller
H
H
Eiffert
H
H
Ramadori
G
G
Schwörer
H
H
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011803:Quinine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014195:Travel
D000962:Antimalarials; D002738:Chloroquine; D011803:Quinine