Malaria diagnosis

Detection by LDMS and structural elucidation of other secondary metabolite products, generated in the host during the onset of the parasite disease, is discussed. These molecules may serve as additional biomarkers for rapid malaria diagnosis by LDMS. For instance, choline phosphate (CP) is identified as the source of several low-mass ions observed in parasite-infected blood samples in addition to heme biomarker ions. The CP levels track the sample parasitemia levels. This biomarker can provide additional specificity and sensitivity when compared to malaria detection based on heme ion signals alone. Furthermore the observed elevated CP levels are discussed in the context of Plasmodium metabolism during its intra-erythrocytic life cycle. These data can... 

Optofluidic techniques have also been proposed for malaria diagnosis in which differential optical absorption is observed between malaria affected and unaffected RBCs in a microfluidic channel (Banoth et al., 2015). 

R. H. Bermudez, "Malaria-Diagnosis and Treatment" in W. H. Holloway ed., Infectious Disease Reviews, Vol II, Putura 1973. 

When an antimalarial drug is given to a hospitalized patient for treatment of malaria, the preadministration assessment includes vital signs and a summary of the nature and duration of the symptoms. Laboratory tests may be ordered for the diagnosis of malaria Additional laboratory tests, such as a complete blood count, may be ordered to determine the patient s general health status. 

Note CF may produce false-positive reactions in those exposed to leishmaniasis, syphilis, and malaria. PCR may be more definitive for diagnosis.)... 

Guerin, P. J. Olliaro, P. Nosten, F. Druilhe, P Laxminarayan, R. Binka, F. Kilama, W. L. Ford, N. White, N. J. Malaria Current status of control, diagnosis, treatment and a proposal agenda for research and development. Lancet Infec. Dis. 2002, 2, 564-573. 

World Health Organization. Malaria rapid diagnosis, making it work. In RS/2003/GE/05 report. Geneva WHO, 2003. 

Hanschied, T. Diagnosis of malaria A review of alternatives to conventional microscopy. Clin. Lab. Haem. 1999, 21, 235-245. 

Aspirates of bone marrow or spleen may be useful in the diagnosis of infections such as leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis, and occasionally malaria. In such instances, Giemsa stains of alcohol-fixed bone marrow films are most useful. Splenic aspiration is rajrely performed in the United States because it is dangerous. 

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Influenza, infectious mononucleosis, hepatitis, leptospirosis, infective endocarditis, malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, ankylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy, collagen vascular disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, malignancy, and osteomyelitis. 

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Dengue, measles, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rubella, tick bite fever, epidemic typhus, Q fever, typhoid, malaria, trypanosomiasis, hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, herpes, and influenza. 

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, meningococcemia, salmonella infection, other tick-borne diseases, rickettsial infections, leukemia, lupus, disseminated intravascular coagulation, hemolytic uremic syndrome, leptospirosis, thrombocytopenic purpura, and idiopathic or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. 

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Hepatitis, meningitis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, malaria, yellow fever, leptospirosis, rickettsioses, river viruses, scrub typhus, typhoid, and other viral infections. 

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Bartonellosis, brucellosis, other causes of encephalitis, coxsackieviruses, cryptococcosis, cysticercosis, cytomegalovirus, histoplasmosis, legionellosis, leptospirosis, listeria, lyme disease, malaria, rabies, tuberculosis, mumps, stroke, metabolic encephalopathy, Reye syndrome, Bartonella infection, Naegleria infection, Ebstein-Barr virus, prion disease, toxic ingestions, and AIDS. 

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Other forms of encephalitis (e.g., California, Eastern Equine, St Louis, West Nile, Murray Valley), malaria, dengue fever, meningitis, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, enteroviruses, herpes simplex, and Nipah virus. 

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, spotted fevers, typhus, malaria, hepatitis, Colorado tick fever, septicemia, heat stroke, disseminated intravascular coagulation, leptospirosis, hemolytic uremic syndrome. 

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Acanthamoeba, louse-borne relapsing fever, dengue fever, Rift Valley fever, hemorrhagic fevers, leptospirosis, malaria, typhoid fever, typhus, liver failure, and hepatitis. 

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Anthrax, brucellosis, dengue, ehrlichiosis, infectious mononucleosis, Kawasaki disease, leptospirosis, malaria, meningitis, men-ingococcemia, relapsing fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, syphilis, toxic shock syndrome, toxoplasmosis, tularemia, typhoid fever, rubella, measles. 

Effective treatment of malaria depends on early diagnosis. Since the patient s symptoms are often relatively nonspecific, it is crucial to examine stained blood smears for the presence of the parasite. Even this procedure may be inconclusive during the early stages of the infection, since the levels of parasitemia can be quite low. Thus, it is important to repeat the blood smear examination several times if malaria is suspected. 

Answer The first and most important step in managing a patient with fever and occasional gastrointestinal symptoms upon return from a malaria-endemic area is to include it prominently in the differential diagnosis. Any delay in the diagnosis and proper treatment places the patient in peril. Untreated P. falciparum in a nonimmune individual can quickly overwhelm the patient in a very short time hence the name malignant tertian malaria. Severe manifestations heralding unfavorable prognosis include... 

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