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Medical Author:

Mary Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Malaria Medications

There are several medications available to treat malaria, including

• chloroquine (Aralen Phosphate),
• atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone),
• artemether-lumefantrine (Coartem),
• mefloquine (Lariam),
• quinine (Qualaquin),
• quinidine (Quinaglute Dura-Tabs, Quinidex Extentabs, Quin-Release),
• doxycycline (Adoxa, Alodox, Avidoxy, Doryx, Monodox, Oracea, Oraxyl, Periostat, Vibramycin, Vibramycin Calcium, Vibramycin Monohydrate, Vibra-Tabs, used in combination with quinine),
• clindamycin (Cleocin HCl, Cleocin Pediatric, used in combination with quinine),
• artesunate (available only through the CDC).

The choice of drug depends on the species of Plasmodium and the risk of drug-resistance in the area where the malaria was acquired. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, older drugs like chloroquine are largely ineffective.

Most medications are available only in tablet or pill form. Intravenous treatment with quinidine may be needed in severe malaria or when the patient cannot take oral medications. Malaria during pregnancy requires treatment by someone who is expert in this area. Miscarriage and maternal death may occur, even in the best of hands.

Importantly, the CDC maintains a malaria hotline. Clinicians can telephone the CDC for advice on diagnosis and treatment of the disease (http://www.cdc.gov).