FALCIPARUM MALARIA - AN EXPERIENCE WITH 100 CASES

Authors

  • Abdus Salam Khan Gandapur
  • Salman A, Malik
  • Abdul Qayyum
  • Misal Khan

Abstract

Clinical details and present day problems faced in 100 cases of Falciparum Malaria (FM)are reported. Eleven percent had taken chloroquine prior to reporting to us. The parasite densitylacked correlation with the severity of disease. Pattern of fever varied markedly but 10% wereafebrile throughout and presented only with body ache and malaise. Cerebral malaria was presentin 117c patients. Jaundice was present in 187c patients. Other symptoms were vomiting 447c, severeheadache 127c, pain abdomen 77c, loose motions/dysentery 117c, & cough 87c, while bleedingdiathesis was present in 77c (3 meletia, 2 epistaxis, 1 bleeding gums and 1 haematuria). Severeanaemia was present in 107c of cases. Splenomegaly was present in 657c, hepatomegaly 297c andhepatosplenomegaly 217c. Congenital malaria was present in only one (17c) patient. Mild malariapatients were treated with chloroquine, while severe malaria patients were cured with quinine for7 days. Blackwater fever was present in 27c.Patients with Blackwater fever were cured with steroidsand chloroquine. 127c patients had chronic malaria. 837c of these patients presented with anaemia.Self-medication, haphazard therapy and the slogan "Fever May Be Malaria, TakeChloroquine" can lead to problems in Falciparum Malaria. Clinical immunity and parasite strainmay act as virulence factors.

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