[Plasmodium falciparum malaria: epidemiology and clinical features at Tarapoto Hospital]

A retrospective study was conducted of the clinical records of 41 patients discharged from a hospital in Tarapoto Peru between August 1992 and June 1996 following treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Patients ranged in age from 18 to 65 years; 25 were male. The cases were uniformly distributed throughout the year. The duration of illness averaged 11 days. At admission 40 patients had fever 36 had shaking chills 29 had headache 21 had nausea and vomiting 21 had hyporexia 15 had pallor and 13 had splenomegaly. 3 of the 16 women were pregnant. 7 patients reported a history of malaria. The admission diagnosis was malaria in 33 cases. 31 patients were treated with chloroquine; 18 were subsequently treated with pyrimethamine-sulfadoxin and 1 received doxycycline. No cases of grave illness or death occurred. The increasing presence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the Peruvian lowlands should promote review of the adequacy of control programs.