Cerebral malaria is a severe and life-threatening form of malaria caused by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite. It results in altered mental status and sometimes coma due to lesions in the brain. Symptoms include fever, seizures, coma, and retinal changes. It primarily affects young children in malaria-endemic areas and can cause death within 24-72 hours if not treated promptly. Treatment involves antimalarial drugs like quinine along with supportive measures.

1. CEREBRAL MALARIA
By,
Ms. Ekta S Patel
II Year M.Sc Nursing
MSN(Neuroscience)

3. • Cerebral malaria comprises clinical reflections
of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, which
causes mutation in mental status and
sometime, coma. It is intense disease of the
brain which causing ring like lesions in brain,
accompanied by fever. The patient should treat
as early as possible, as CM gets fatal within 24-
72 hours.

4. • It is characterized with retinal whitening,
which helps in distinguishing it from other
type of fever. Its risk factor primarily includes
children below 10 years of age, especially
living in malaria endemic areas.

6. • Cerebral malaria is an acute febrile and mainly
diffuse encephalopathy, occurring in patient
infected with P.falciparum.
The world health organization Malaria
Action Program proposed three criteria for the
diagnosis for cerebral malaria:
• Unarousable coma
• Exclusion of other encephalopathy
• Confirmation of Plasmodium infection

8. • P.falciparum

10. • Cerebral malaria is the most serious
and life-threatening form of malaria,
caused by P.falciparum.
• This species causes chills, persistent
high fever, headache, orthostatic
hypotension, myalgia and RBC
slugging that leads to capillary
blockage at several sites.

11. Stages of Malarial infection:
The three initial stages are;
• Cold stage
• Hot stage
• Wet stage

12. Symptoms:
• Primary there are three symptoms of CM,
which are common in both adults and
children:
• Impaired consciousness with nonspecific
fever.
• Generalize convulsions and neurological
abnormalities.
• Coma that lasts for 24-72 hours, initially
rousable and then unrousable.

13. • If not treated on time, it can lead to
complications like jaundice, hemoglobinuria,
a tender and enlarged spleen, acute renal
failure and urema and is fatal in about 20%
of patients. Further it manifest with sign of
increased ICP, hemiplegia, encephalopathy,
delirium, seizures and coma.

15. Sign:
• Mild jaundice
• Anaemia
• Enlargement of liver and spleen
• Kidney failure
• Blood in urine
• Rise in ICP
• Delirium and seizures
• One-sided paralysis that result in coma
• Increased respiratory rate

17. • Since cerebral malaria is fatal within few
days of infection, immediate treatment is
necessary.

18. Chemotherapy:
• Mainly involves Quinine, for patients who
having chloroquinine resistance.

19. Adjunctive measures:
• Antipyretic
• Microciculatory flow such as Pentoxifylline
reduce the red cell deformation and blood
viscosity.
• Anticonvulsants
• Desferrioxamines

22. •Thank You