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Any disease but I’d prefer Malaria
Case Study:
A 30-year-old male patient was admitted in the hospital with the symptoms of sustained high fever from the last week. His physical examination revealed a flushed face, left submandibular lymphadenopathy and injected conjunctivae. It was found out that he was born in Africa, but had been living in the United States of America since the last 13 years. He had gone back to his hometown to meet his friends and family a month ago and spent one and a half month there. His peripheral blood smear demonstrated the ringed form of trophozoites of Plasmodium Falciparum (Ashley). He was treated with antimalarial drugs like artesunate and mefloquine (World Health Organization). His recovered without any severe bleeding, fluid leakage or shock.
Multiple Choice Questions:
If you were the physician, what diagnosis would you present against the symptoms and test reports of the patient?
Dengue
Malaria
Plasmodium Ovale
Babesia
The correct answer is Malaria, as the physical symptoms and the test reports clearly suggest this and the virus that has caused it is found to be Plasmodium falciparum.
As a physician, what treatment would you start immediately regarding this patient?
Treat for the Plasmodium Vivax malaria
Treat for malaria and dengue both
Treat for chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria
Do not start treatment at all.
The correct answer is (iii) Treat for chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria because it is the safest option.
Would you recommend this patient to take preventive measures before traveling outside the US, especially his hometown?
Yes
No
Cannot say anything
The answer is yes. The patient should take preventive measures before traveling to his hometown as Chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum have been found in Africa. The preventive measures that could be prophylaxis (atovaquone-proguanil [Malarone], doxycycline or mefloquine).
Works Cited
Ashley, Elizabeth A., et al. "Spread of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum malaria." New England Journal of Medicine 371.5 (2014): 411-423.
World Health Organization. Guidelines for the treatment of malaria. World Health Organization, 2015.
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