A 28-year-old woman in a low-endemic district is diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax malaria based on a peripheral smear showing schuffner dots. She is started on chloroquine. Before prescribing the companion drug for radical cure, which investigation is mandatory, and what is the correct radical cure regimen?
- A G6PD level; primaquine 0.75 mg/kg single dose
- B G6PD level; primaquine 0.25 mg/kg daily for 14 days ✓
- C Liver function tests; primaquine 0.25 mg/kg daily for 5 days
- D G6PD level; primaquine 0.5 mg/kg weekly for 8 weeks
Correct answer: B. G6PD level; primaquine 0.25 mg/kg daily for 14 days
Explanation
National programme policy for vivax malaria is chloroquine 25 mg/kg over three days followed by primaquine 0.25 mg/kg daily for 14 days to clear hypnozoites and prevent relapse, with G6PD estimation done beforehand because of haemolysis risk in deficient subjects. The 0.75 mg/kg single dose is the gametocytocidal dose used in falciparum infection, and P. falciparum has no exoerythrocytic stage, hence no relapse, which removes that tempting option.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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