Before a medical doctor treats a patient he first needs to find out if the person (s) have the symptoms of malaria, if yes then tests are done such as physical tests including the taking of blood samples to be tested then a diagnosis is arrived.
If a person tests positive for the Malaria decease then treatment will be administered immediately.
Travelers from different countries may contract or spread the Malaria decease so anti-malaria vaccines is the way to go but these should be done well in advance before one migrates, especially if it is a Malaria stricken country like Indian and Sub-Sahara Africa the tourist will visit.
Symptoms
Sequential chills, fever, and sweating
Headache
Nausea and vomiting
Muscle pain
Anemia
Stools, bloody
Jaundice
Convulsion
Coma
Signs and tests
During a physical examination, the doctor may identify an enlarged liver and an enlarged spleen. Malaria blood smears taken at 6 to 12 hour intervals confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment
Anti-malarial drugs can be prescribed to people traveling to areas where malaria is prevalent. It is important to see your health care provider well in advance of your departure, because treatment may begin as long as 2 weeks before entering the area, and continue for a month after leaving the area. The types of anti-malarial medications prescribed will depend on the drug-resistance patterns in the areas to be visited.
According to the CDC, travelers going to South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Asia, and the South Pacific should take one of the following drugs: mefloquine, doxycycline, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, or Malarone.
Malarone is a relatively new anti-malarial drug in the U.S. and is a combination of atovaquone and proguanil. It may be recommended over the other drugs mentioned, depending on your destination and the possibility of mefloquine resistance.
It is very important to know the countries and areas you will be visiting to obtain appropriate preventive support for malaria.
FOR ACTIVE INFECTIONS
Malaria, especially Falciparum malaria, is a medical emergency requiring hospitalization. Chloroquine is a frequently used anti-malarial medication, but quinidine or quinine, or the combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadoxine, are given for chloroquine-resistant infections.
Expectations (prognosis)
The outcome is expected to be good in most cases of malaria with treatment, but poor in Falciparum infection with complications.
Complications
Liver failure and kidney failure
Destruction of blood cells (hemolytic anemia)
Meningitis
Rupture of the spleen and subsequent massive hemorrhage
Calling your health care provider
Call your health care provider if you develop fever and headache after visiting the tropics
Source: MedilinePlus Medical encyclopedia
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Posted by Preved | January 11, 2007 5:53 PM
Posted on January 11, 2007 17:53