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.
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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.
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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
