Diagnosis and treatment of Malaria.

In this film, we visit the Centre for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam, where important research is being conducted into the treatment of falciparum malaria. We first look at some typical patients with falciparum malaria, then we see the doctors assessing the Glasgow Coma Score on a patient with cerebral malaria; there is then a step by step demonstration of how to prepare and examine thin and thick blood films for malaria, with the appearance of the parasites of Plasmodium falciparum and vivax well demonstrated. Finally Keith Arnold reviews the life cycle of the parasite; discusses treatment, including the place of the traditional Chinese Artemisinin group of antimalarials; and considers the advice to be given to travellers.