While this may suggest co-artemether may be given with select antiretrovirals and they may be considered as preferred agents in the treatment of uncomplicated

malaria further information on the efficacy and toxicity of selleck products these combinations in HIV-seropositive individuals is required and it must be emphasized that there is still limited experience of the use of these agents in HIV-seropositive individuals in Western settings. Severe or complicated falciparum malaria is defined as cases with shock, renal impairment, acidosis, pulmonary oedema or acute respiratory distress syndrome, impaired consciousness or seizures, hypoglycaemia, very low haemoglobin (defined by WHO as <5g/dL [12]), haemoglobinuria or disseminated intravascular coagulopathy [6]. It should be treated with a parenteral regimen, which should also be used in cases where the parasitaemia level is >2%, or when the individual is unable to take oral medicines. Under these circumstances falciparum malaria is treated with intravenous artesunate 2.4 mg/kg daily, given at 0, 12, 24 h then daily to complete a 7-day course combined with doxycycline 200 mg once a day. Intravenous quinine (loading dose: 20 mg/kg intravenously infused over 4 h, maximum dose 1.4 g, then 10 mg/kg intravenously by infusion over MLN2238 datasheet 4 h every 8 h for 48 h, then bid thereafter, until the individual is able

to take oral medication) is an alternative. Rapid referral should be made to a specialist centre (category IV recommendation). The loading dose of quinine should be withheld if quinine or mefloquine has been administered in the previous 12 h. Quinine prolongs the QRS and QT intervals and can induce hypoglycaemia, so treatment must be given while connected to a cardiac monitor with regular measurement of blood glucose levels. There is a potential for

increased cardiac problems due to an interaction between quinine and ritonavir. The treatment of choice for non-falciparum malaria (P. ovale, P. vivax, P. malariae) is a 3-day course of oral chloroquine (600 mg orally, then 300 mg after 6–8 h then 300 mg daily for 2 days) followed by 14 days of primaquine Dichloromethane dehalogenase (P. vivax: 30 mg orally once a day; P. ovale: 15 mg once a day) to eradicate the liver stages. Primaquine is not required for P. malariae [6]. Patients should be tested for G6PD deficiency before starting primaquine to quantify and minimize the risk of haemolysis. Patients with G6PD deficiency can be managed with lower-dose primaquine for longer, but specialist advice should be sought. All HIV-seropositive individuals who travel to malaria-endemic areas should be offered malaria prophylaxis and given general advice on how to avoid mosquito bites as part of a comprehensive pre-travel assessment (category IV recommendation).