Everyone Healthy Library
Malaria
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Condition overview
Attributes
Commonality for Afghanistanis common
Commonality for Australiais rare
Commonality for Central Africais common
Commonality for Central Americais common
Commonality for Chinais common
Commonality for East Africais common
Commonality for Europeis rare
Commonality for North Africais common
Commonality for North Americais rare
Commonality for Pakistanis common
Commonality for Russiais rare
Commonality for South Africais common
Commonality for South Americais common
Commonality for South East Asiais common
Commonality for Southern Indiais common
Commonality for Sub Saharan Africais common
Commonality for Zimbabweis common
Linked signs and symptoms
18Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
- Anaemia (Anemia)
- Appetite Loss (Anorexia)
- Blood Glucose Levels Low or Decreased (Hypoglycaemia, Hypoglycemia)
- Chills
- Cough Hacking
- Diarrhoea (Diarrhea)
- Fever (Raised Body Temperature)
- Headache (Cephalgia)
- Liver Enlarged Or Tender
- Lung Fluid Accumulation (Oedema Pulmonary)
- Mind: Malaise
- Muscle Aches
- Pain Muscle (Myalgia)
- Seizures
- Shivering
- shock
- Skin Yellowing (Jaundice)
- Spleen Enlarged
Linked drugs / medications
7Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
10Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Medical therapy
2Alternative and complementary therapies
4Alternative medicine
2Medical emergencies
1Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
7These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
- Erythrocyte Fragility Test (Osmotic Fragility, OF)
- haptoglobin (Hp) concentration
- Malaria Smear Test (Plasmodium Falciparum, Malariae, Vivax or Ovale Giemsa Stained Smear)
- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)
- Monocyte Absolute Count
- Reticulocyte Count Percent Total RBC
- Urine Red Blood Cells Concentration
Biological and test markers
8This visual map uses existing EH database links to show biological agents and lab markers reported as increased, decreased, or associated with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
7- Hemoglobin (Hb)Reference range exampleFemale: 78–100 gm/dL; Male: 76–100 gm/dLLinked diagnostic tests3Hemoglobin (Hb) Concentration, Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) Weight Test
- MonocytesReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 3–7 %; 0.1–0.5 million/mLLinked diagnostic tests2Differential White Blood Cell Count Tests, Monocyte Absolute Count
- Percentage NaCl at which Hemolysis beginsReference range exampleAll: 0.5–0.6 %Linked diagnostic tests1Erythrocyte Fragility Test (Osmotic Fragility, OF)
- Percentage NaCl at which Hemolysis is completeReference range exampleAll: 0.3–0.35 %Linked diagnostic tests1Erythrocyte Fragility Test (Osmotic Fragility, OF)
- Plasmodium Falciparum, Malariae, Vivax or Ovale Smear Positive (Malaria Giemsa Stain Positive)Reference range exampleAll: 0–1 NegativeLinked diagnostic tests1Malaria Smear Test (Plasmodium Falciparum, Malariae
- ReticulocytesReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 24–83 109/L; 0.5–1.5 %Linked diagnostic tests2Reticulocyte Absolute Count, Reticulocyte Count Percent Total RBC
- Urine Red Blood CellsReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–2 /hpfLinked diagnostic tests1Urine Red Blood Cells Concentration
Often decreased
1Other associated markers
0No markers in this group.
Introduction / full article
Malaria
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
St John's Wort (Goatweed, tipton weed, Hypericum Perforatum) [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: No recommendation (Available evidence does not support claims that St Johns Wort can help to treat malaria)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Pau D'Arco (Lapachol, Tabebuia Impetiginosa, Tabebuia Heptaphylla) [1, 2]:
Please note, this treatment has potentially serious side effects. Some of the chemicals in the plant are known to be toxic. High doses are known to cause liver and kidney. Even at low doses, chemicals in the plant may interfere with blood clotting, causing excess bleeding and anaemia. Pau D'Arco should be avoided, especially by pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Recommendation: Strongly against (Laboratory tests have shown that Pau D'arco can be effective in the treatment of Malaria. However, further studies are needed on its effect in humans. This, combined with its potentially harmful side effects if taken without supervision from a doctor or pharmacist gives enough reason to avoid this treatment.)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
Red Pepper (Capsaicin):
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: no recommendation (Available evidence does not support claims that Red Peppers help to treat or prevent Malaria in any way)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Summary References
Treatments:
1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009
2. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/pau-d-arco
3. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-stjohnswort.html
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18843608
5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11939866
6. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/ataglance.htm
7. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/sjw-and-depression.htm
8. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/how-is-depression-detected-and-treated.shtml
9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11939872
10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12132963
11. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16423519
12. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/299/22/2633
13. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/st-johns-wort