Review of 100 cases of falciparum malaria.

ABSTRACT

The rising incidence of falciparum malaria with its attending high morbidity and mortality in the last one and a half decade, coincident with the heavy influx of Afghan refugees especially in the North West frontier province, has been a matter of great concern to us. Hence, we embarked on this study to evaluate the presentation of falciparum malaria, to rationalize the treatment strategies abreast with current literature and to study the increasing drug resistance and drug effectiveness. The findings revealed that fever was present in 100% followed by headache in 95%, jaundice in 54%, herpes labialis in 46%, cerebral malaria in 26%, uraemia in 19% and blackwater fever in 5% of the patients. Out of 45 females seen 26 were pregnant. Five patients died. Chloroquine resistance was observed in 38%, amodiaquine resistance in 17%, and sulphadoxine+pyrimethamine [Fansidar] resistance in 14% of patients. The most effective drug was quinine. The second most effective drug was mefloquine