Infectious DiseaseEmergency Medicine
Malaria — Diagnosis & Management
Thick + thin film + RDT, distinguish severe (artesunate) from uncomplicated (ACT), species-specific therapy, severe complications.
Source: PHE 2016; WHO 2023
Step 1 of ~5
info
Diagnose
Always consider in any febrile traveller from endemic area within last year. Symptoms: fever (rigors, sweats), headache, myalgia, fatigue, vomiting, jaundice, hepatosplenomegaly. Severity: ALOC, seizures, ARDS, AKI, hyperparasitaemia, hypoglycaemia, lactic acidosis, DIC, shock.
Diagnostics:
• Thick film: highest sensitivity for low parasitaemia.
• Thin film: speciation + parasitaemia.
• Rapid diagnostic test (RDT): rapid screen (less sensitive than expert microscopy).
• REPEAT × 3 over 48h if first negative + ongoing suspicion.
• PCR for very low parasitaemia / mixed infection / speciation.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Drugs
- Quinine · Antimalarial — Severe / Complicated Malaria (IV) / Nocturnal Cramps (Oral)
- Buprenorphine (Opioid Dependence) · Partial Opioid Agonist (Opioid Substitution Therapy)
- Asfotase Alfa · Enzyme Replacement Therapy (Hypophosphatasia — Tissue Non-specific Alkaline Phosphatase)
- Insulin (IV Infusion — ICU Glucose Control) · Insulin — ICU Glucose Management
- Sodium Chloride 3% (Hypertonic Saline) · Hypertonic Electrolyte Solution — ICP/Hyponatraemia Management
- Digoxin-specific Antibody Fragments (DigiFab) · Antidote
Pathways
- Infective Endocarditis · ESC 2023 Infective Endocarditis Guidelines; NICE NG41
- Eczema Herpeticum · BAD; NICE CKS
- Suspected Bacterial Meningitis (Adult) · NICE NG240 (2024); NICE NG143 (paeds)
- Neutropenic Sepsis · NICE CG151; ASCO 2018
- Clostridioides difficile Colitis · NICE NG199 (2021); IDSA/SHEA 2021
- Returning Traveller — Fever · NaTHNaC; PHE; ESCMID 2018
Decision support only. Always apply local guidelines and clinical judgement.