ICU · Infection / global health
Tropical & Global Infections — Malaria, Dengue, TB, Influenza & COVID
Also known as Severe malaria · Falciparum malaria · Artesunate · Cerebral malaria · AQUAMAT · SEAQUAMAT · Exchange transfusion malaria · Dengue · Dengue shock syndrome · Dengue NS1 antigen · Melioidosis · Burkholderia pseudomallei · Severe enteric fever · Typhoid · Intestinal perforation typhoid · Scrub typhus · Orientia tsutsugamushi · Murine typhus · Doxycycline · Leprosy · Severe tuberculosis · Miliary TB · TB meningitis · RIPE therapy · Severe influenza · Severe COVID-19 · Dexamethasone COVID
The tropical and the global infections in the ICU: the severe malaria (the Plasmodium falciparum — the cerebral, the ARDS, the AKI, the severe anaemia, the hypoglycaemia, the hyperparasitaemia; the IV artesunate the WHO first-line, the superior to the quinine, the AQUAMAT and the SEAQUAMAT the mortality benefit; the blood smear or the RDT), the dengue (the plasma leak — the pleural effusion, the ascites, the haemoconcentration; the dengue shock syndrome; the cautious the fluids in the leak phase; the NS1 antigen; the warning signs; the paracetamol NOT the NSAIDs; the platelets or the FFP for the bleeding), the melioidosis (the Burkholderia pseudomallei — the pneumonia, the liver and the spleen abscess; the ceftazidime or the meropenem the inten…
Checked against its sources on 3 Sept 2026
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Meet the patient
A 42-year-old non-immune businessman returned from Papua New Guinea nine days ago. He presents with three days of high fever, rigors, and progressive confusion. GCS 9. The thick blood smear shows Plasmodium falciparum ring forms at 14 per cent parasitaemia. He is hypoxic, hypoglycaemic, and in renal failure.[1]
The single highest-yield fact in tropical medicine is what happens next: he gets IV artesunate within the hour, before the parasitology is complete, because the AQUAMAT and SEAQUAMAT trials proved artesunate cuts mortality by roughly a third versus quinine. The returned traveller with fever is malaria until proven otherwise, and the smear does not delay the cure.[1][4]
References41ShowHide
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