Malaria tablets

In summer, when the holiday period is in full swing, the flow of tourists to exotic countries is significantly increased. The trip to the country, which is in the tropical climatic zone, promises, of course, exciting experiences. In order not to overshadow your vacation, remember the preventive measures of the most common diseases in these latitudes and dangerous to health, with the causative agents of which you may encounter. If you decide to go to the countries of Asia, South and Central America, the Pacific Ocean, there must be a place for malaria tablets in your travel first-aid kit.

Carriers of the pathogen of malaria are mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. Malaria is characterized by focal outbreaks of spread. Because of the climate, stable foci have formed in countries with warm and humid climates. The matter is that the ripening of the malarial plasmodium in the body of the mosquito occurs at a temperature in the range of 16 ° C to 30 ° C. For the reproduction of mosquitoes, small-flow ponds with clean and warm water are required.

[1], [2]

How to recognize the disease?

The causative agents of malaria are parasites of the genus Plasmodium. The disease can be with acute or prolonged course, accompanied by fever, increased liver size and the development of anemia.

Fever fever for malaria is repeated periodically. In some patients who have not received treatment or have not cured the disease completely, the fever resumes in a week or two or even 2-3 months after the first attack receded.

The incubation period lasts 7-45 days. Then in patients who do not have immunity from the disease, a period may be indicated, accompanied by chills, headaches, fever, poor health, aching muscles, sometimes diarrhea. Sometimes the incubation can last up to 14 months because of the "sleeping" forms of hepatocytes of pathogens.

The attack goes through such stages: chills, fever, sweat. The stage of chill is characterized by a pale and cool "goose" skin with a bluish tinge. After a time that ranges from 10 minutes to 3 hours, body temperature rises rapidly (to 40 ° C and even higher). Become stronger than the pain in the muscles, the head hurts more, you want to drink, vomiting can arise. During the heat, the skin becomes dry and hot, palpitations occur. After a few hours, the perspiration appears, the temperature drops to subnormal figures, and the state of health temporarily becomes better.

The attack lasts from 6 hours to 24 hours or longer. After two or three days, until the next attack, malaria is not manifested. In patients with tropical malaria, attacks of fever may occur more often, up to 2 times a day, since several generations of pathogens may develop in their blood, which develop each according to their "schedule." After 2-3 attacks, you can find an increase in size and some soreness in the spleen and liver. Rapid death of red blood cells causes anemia and an increase in the concentration of bilirubin. Because of this, the epidermis and mucous membranes acquire a yellowish hue.

Final confirmation of the diagnosis in the presence of all these signs can be a thick drop microscopy and a blood test.

How not to get confused in the names of tablets from malaria? It's not so difficult. Tablets are divided into those that fight with tissue forms of the pathogen (shizontotsidy) and those that are designed to combat erythrocyte forms - hematocides. The effectiveness of therapy depends on the timeliness and the correct choice of medications. In acute forms of malaria, hematocides are used. If parasites of the P.vivax group, P.ovale, P. Malariae are found, the preparations of the group of 4-aminoquinolines are used.

Chlorokhin

Chlorokhin is the most popular of them. His analogues are Delagil, Hingamin. Pharmacodynamics chloroquine is that the drug inhibits the replication of the DNA of the pathogen, inhibits immunity, has an anti-inflammatory effect. Indications for the use of chloroquine:

• treatment of acute malaria,
• prevention of malaria in those who travel to areas where the disease is common;
• extraintestinal amoebic dysentery therapy;
• in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, photodermatosis.

The way of application and the dose of malaria tablets depend on whether it is necessary to fight with the signs of malaria or to prevent infection when traveling to the area where the disease is common. The course of treatment with chloroquine lasts three days. At signs of a fever accept 1 g in the first reception, after 6-8 hours - 500 mg; on the second and third days - 500 mg of chloroquine. To prevent disease, take 500 mg weekly, strictly after 7 days. Preventive course start 1-2 weeks before the proposed trip and continue up to 6 weeks after arrival.

Prolonged intake of chloroquine can cause dermatitis. If this happens, the dosage is reduced or completely stopped. In some cases, these side effects of tablets from malaria, such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, hearing loss. They pass by themselves. Therapy with chloroquine provides for continuous monitoring of liver function, blood and urine tests. Contraindications: heart, kidney, liver, hematopoiesis.

Can I take chloroquine pregnant? There is no unequivocal answer. The safety of the use of tablets against malaria during pregnancy is not confirmed, therefore they are prescribed only if the intended benefit for the expectant mother exceeds the possible risk for the development of the baby. The pharmacokinetics of the chloroquine is such that its metabolites enter the breast milk. This must be taken into account when taking the drug during breastfeeding.

[3], [4], [5], [6]

Quinine sulfate

Quinine sulfate (or quinine hydrochloride) also prevents the growth of erythrocyte types of malaria. The mechanism of its action is similar to chloroquine, but inferior in activity. Today, quinine is used with the resistance of the malignant pathogen to hingamine or other antimalarial drugs: in some cases, the causative agent is neutralized by the action of quinine. The drug suppresses the centers responsible for maintaining normal body temperature, and also - at a significant dosage - affects the brain centers responsible for hearing and vision. Quinine sulfate reduces the heart rate, excites the cells of the smooth muscles of internal organs, increases the tone of the uterus. The drug is not prescribed for pregnant and lactating children.

The drug is contraindicated if there are signs of a lack of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme, malarial hemoglobinuria, middle and inner ear diseases. With caution appoint a drug for violations of the heart and in the period of bearing the child. For pregnant women, to avoid termination of pregnancy, the maximum daily dosage should be up to 1 g. This dose should be divided into 4 to 5 receptions.

Chloridine

Effective to combat plasmodia of malaria, toxoplasmosis and leishmania. Inhibits the growth of asexual erythrocyte forms of all types of plasmodia, but its action is slower than chloroquine. Pharmacokinetics of the drug: quickly absorbed into the blood and stored for a long time in the blood, finally withdrawn only a week after the last reception. When taking chloridine in combination with chloroquine, its effectiveness increases. Chloridine is taken 2-3 courses at intervals of 1-2 months.

May provoke the occurrence of headaches, dizziness, pain in the heart, digestive disorders, visual impairment, hair loss. Contraindicated in diseases of the hematopoietic organs and kidneys. The drug is not prescribed during pregnancy.

[7], [8], [9], [10],

Meflokhin

Mefloquine is an antiprotozoal, antimalarial drug. It is taken once in a dosage of 15-25 mg / kg of the base, if urgent medical treatment is necessary if malaria is suspected and there is no possibility to get qualified medical care. For prevention, 2-3 weeks before arrival on the territory of malaria spread, 5 mg / kg are administered weekly. The preventive course ends 4 weeks after leaving the danger zone. Tablets should be washed down with a considerable amount of water. Women of reproductive age with special care should be given to these pills from malaria. If a woman still takes the drug, then it is necessary to abstain from pregnancy for a given period and until the expiry of 2 months from the moment of the last mefloquine intake.
The drug is contraindicated in epilepsy and other types of convulsive seizures, with acute psychosis. With special care, the drug is prescribed to people with impaired liver function.

Primachin

To prevent recurrence of the disease after the completion of the course of hematocides, a course of tissue shizontocida is recommended: primaquine (proguanil, primetamine). These tablets from malaria destroy the exoerythrocytic pathogens in the liver. Primachin also neutralizes the sexual forms of parasites in red blood cells and destroys the "sleeping" parasites in the liver.

Primachin takes 14 days to 0.25 mg per kilogram of weight per day. Stresses resistant to the drug are found on the Pacific coast and in the countries of the Asian region. Then it is necessary to take Primax at 0.25 mg / kg per day for 21 days.

Primax is normally tolerated, but in some cases there are pains in the abdominal area, indigestion, pain in the heart, weakness. All these ailments pass after the end of the course of treatment with primaquin. If the patient has reason to suspect anemia or an anomaly of red blood cells, it is necessary to prescribe the drug with caution. Primax is contraindicated if other acute infections are found or during a period of exacerbation of rheumatism. The drug should be taken with drugs that oppress hemopoiesis.

Hinocid

Helps to avoid distant relapses, neutralizing the sexual forms of all types of malarial plasmodia. When taking the drug sometimes there is nausea, headache, drug fever, lips and nails acquire a bluish tint, the work of the kidneys and bladder can be disturbed. All these side effects disappear after the end of the course of treatment with a quinocide. The drug is not prescribed concomitantly with other medicines for malaria, as its toxicity increases.

Bigumal

The action of bigum is similar to chloride, but it lasts less. The effect of treatment does not come as quickly as when using chloroquine. Bigumal is used in a limited way because the drug acts more slowly, is quickly excreted from the body, and resistance to it rapidly develops. Bigumal take a course of 4 to 5 days. If the disease is severe, the therapy can last up to 7 days. The drug is usually normally tolerated.

Fanshidar

Fundsidar is used for forms of malaria resistant to chloroquine, and is prescribed in combination with quinine. Therapy begins on the third day of the quinine course. In order to prevent a weekly appointment.

With an overdose of antimalarial drugs, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, signs of the nervous and cardiovascular system appear. In these cases, it is necessary to wash the stomach. After an overdose, a long-term monitoring of the parameters of hemodynamics, ECG, and the state of the nervous system is necessary.

Simultaneously with the appointment of antimalarial drugs, patients with severe forms of malaria are prescribed drugs that reduce intoxication and drugs that improve blood circulation, as well as vitamins and funds for the normalization of blood clotting.

All these drugs not only have a strong effect on plasmodium malaria, but also affect the human body. Carefully read the instructions before taking the tablets from malaria, as they can interact with other drugs, in some cases critically weakening or enhancing their effect. It is necessary to adhere to the regimen and treatment regimen or prevention, do not use drugs with expired shelf life or disturbed storage conditions. Even if you have long since left the region where malaria is prevalent, you should immediately seek medical help if you have a fever - malaria can manifest itself even after a few months.

[11], [12], [13], [14], [15],