Exchange transfusion in severe falciparum malaria

Abstract

Malaria is endemic in India with the incidence of P. falciparum Malaria increasing gradually over the last decade. Severe malaria is an acute disease, caused by P. falciparum, but increasingly also by P. vivax with major signs of organ dysfunction and/or high levels of parasitaemia (>10%) in blood smear. Use of exchange transfusion with antimalarial drug therapy as an additional modality of treatment in severe Falciparum malaria is controversial and is unclear. We report a case of severe malaria complicated by multiorgan failure and ARDS. Patient responded well to manual exchange transfusion with standard artesunate-based chemotherapy.