title: Delayed haemolysis after artesunate therapy in a cohort of patients with severe imported malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Delayed haemolytic anaemia is one of the more frequent events after treatment with intravenous artesunate in patients with severe malaria. Little is known about its frequency and the outcomes of patients with this condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was conducted to describe the incidence of delayed haemolysis in a cohort of patients with severe malaria by Plasmodium falciparum treated with artesunate between August 2013 and July 2015.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 52 patients with malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum, with 21 having severe malaria. The majority were male (66.7%), and the median age was 43 years. Four patients (19%) presented post-artesunate delayed haemolysis 11-13 days from the initiation of treatment. Two patients required hospital admission and red blood cell transfusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-artesunate delayed haemolysis is frequent in patients with severe malaria treated with intravenous artemisinins. These patients should be monitored for 4 weeks after treatment is started.
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: gjunyent@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gómez-Junyent
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitario Araba Txagorritxu, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Panales
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calvo-Cano
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gascón
authors.affiliation: ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muñoz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077332:Artesunate / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012675:Senegal / Q000208:ethnology; D013997:Time Factors; D000076082:Travel-Related Illness
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D015415:Biomarkers; D000077332:Artesunate
keywords: Artesunate; Artesunato; Haemolysis; Hemólisis; Malaria; Plasmodium falciparum