Malaria treatment

Treatment to Malarial infections

• Each form of malaria requires different type of treatment.
• The drugs used for treatment of malaria is called anti-malarial drugs
• The common anti-malarial drugs are:

- Cinchona alkaloids

- Cinchona febriguge

- Tota quina

Quinine derivatives /Quinine sulphate:

• Destroys the asexual forms of Plasmodium in three days.
• Used in the treatment of cerebral malaria, it clears the clogs in the brain capillaries caused by Plasmodium falciparum.
• Not toxic in recommended dosage but excessive dosage may cause temporary deafness.
• Pregnant women should not be given quinine derivatives.

Acridine derivatives/Mepacrine and Quinacrine:

• Destroys the asexual forms of plasmodium after the third or fourth day.
• Toxic effects are temporary yellow coloration of skin, face, eyes and urine.

Biguanie/Paludrine:

• Destroys the tissue forms and can be used as a prophylactic drug.

- Prophylactic dosage - 300 mgs once a week

- For treatment - 300 mgs daily for 5 to 10 days

• Side effects - nausea and vomiting may occur.

4-Aminoquinolines / Avloclor, Chloroquine, Resochin, Nivaquin, Arolon and Camaquin :

• Powerful schizonticidal drug acts on the asexual forms of plasmodium.
• Side effects - dizziness and sleeplessness occurs on excessive dosage.

8-Aminoquinolines/Primaquine

• Powerful gametocidal drug kills the the gametocytes.
• Toxic side effects- Cyanosis and black urine can occur and treatment as to be stopped immediately