Cerebral malaria primarily affects children and nonimmune patients. Hyponatremia and hypoglycemia may be found in patients with P. falciporum infection. Polymerase chain reaction assays. Some automated blood cell analyzers. A variety of antimalarial drugs are in use, including the traditional quinine given orally or parenterally.
Treatment depends on the organism, immune status of the patient, and severity of the attack.
Oral chloroquine is a mainstay of treatment except for infection with chloroquine-resistant P. falciporum . Combination drug treatment is common, e.g., mefloquine combined with artesunate for multidrug-resistant strains. Outside the U.S., other medications are availble. Readers are referred to the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and the other references given below for further specifics of treatment. Primaquine phosphate provides terminal prophylaxis and thus prevents an asymptomatic carrier state.