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Confirmation of malaria parasitaemia and management of postoperative pyrexia
Abstract
Background: Patients who undergo surgical operations sometimes develop fever in the post-operative period. Full examination of the patient is essential to detect any obvious pathology. Often, Malaria is considered as a possible cause.
Method: Seventy consecutive patients who had operations under general anesthesia were studied. Each had blood examination for malaria parasites pre-operative and post-operative. Pyrexia was fully investigated, including laboratory investigation for Malaria parasitaemia.
Results: Thirty patients developed fever in the post-operative period; in 11 of them had malaria parasites were detected in the blood and responded to anti-malaria drugs. Of the other 19, no surgically related cause of the fever could be found in 10 and these were empirically treated for malaria; 6 had good response. Six other patients had positive post-operative malaria parasitaemia but had no fever, demonstrating the endemicity of malaria.
Conclusion: There is benefit in the use of anti-malaria drugs in fever where there is no obvious pathology, even when laboratory confirmation of malaria parasitaemia cannot be done.
(Nig J Surg Res 2003; 5: 62 – 66)
Key words: Malaria parasitaemia, postoperative pyrexia
Method: Seventy consecutive patients who had operations under general anesthesia were studied. Each had blood examination for malaria parasites pre-operative and post-operative. Pyrexia was fully investigated, including laboratory investigation for Malaria parasitaemia.
Results: Thirty patients developed fever in the post-operative period; in 11 of them had malaria parasites were detected in the blood and responded to anti-malaria drugs. Of the other 19, no surgically related cause of the fever could be found in 10 and these were empirically treated for malaria; 6 had good response. Six other patients had positive post-operative malaria parasitaemia but had no fever, demonstrating the endemicity of malaria.
Conclusion: There is benefit in the use of anti-malaria drugs in fever where there is no obvious pathology, even when laboratory confirmation of malaria parasitaemia cannot be done.
(Nig J Surg Res 2003; 5: 62 – 66)
Key words: Malaria parasitaemia, postoperative pyrexia
