title: A case of successfully treated acute respiratory distress syndrome complicating Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
abstract: While endemic malaria has been eliminated in the United States, approximately 1200 mostly imported cases are reported annually in the country, with fewer than 20 recorded deaths. Because of the rarity of this disease in the United States, clinicians are often unfamiliar with its diagnosis and presentation. In a review of all malaria deaths in the United States from 1963 to 2001, failure to diagnose malaria on initial presentation, promptly initiate treatment, and/or prescribe appropriate antimalarial drugs were identified as contributing factors to death. Plasmodium falciparum can lead to a particularly severe type of malaria complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and physicians must be alert to the possibility of this diagnosis in immigrants and returning travelers. We report a case of successfully treated acute respiratory distress syndrome complicating imported P falciparum malaria at a large teaching hospital in Washington, DC.
authors.affiliation: Howard University Hospital, Department of Community and Family Medicine, 2139 Georgia Ave NW, Ste 3-B, Washington, DC 20001, USA. nmanyindo@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Noel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Manyindo
authors.forename: Dagobert
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simo
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Uzo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Unegbu
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oyiriaru
authors.forename: Reginald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wills
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*