Complicated/severe malaria is any form of malaria that is serious enough to be an immediate threat to the life of the patient with no other confirmed cause of the illness. If untreated, 100% of the patients with severe malaria die, but with correct treatment, 15-20% die, mainly within the 1st 24hrs. Therefore, early diagnosisand treatment is vital to prevent death. WHO recommends intravenous/intramuscular artesunate for the treatment of complicated malaria in both children and adults. Severe malaria is an emergency and requires treatment in a hospital.
Attribution: Avallain