Under the national malaria treatment policy, an adult with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria receives an artemisinin-based combination therapy plus a single oral dose of primaquine 0.75 mg/kg. The purpose of this single primaquine dose is:

• A Eradication of hypnozoites from the liver
• B Prevention of recrudescence by clearing dormant merozoites
• C Clearance of ring-stage parasites to shorten fever time
• D Killing of circulating gametocytes to reduce transmission ✓

Explanation

In falciparum infection, single dose primaquine 0.75 mg/kg acts as a gametocytocide, rendering the patient non-infectious to mosquitoes and supporting elimination goals. Hypnozoite eradication is not relevant because P. falciparum has no latent liver stage; that is the role of a 14 day primaquine course in P. vivax radical cure. The ACT component itself handles the asexual blood stages.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 26th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.