Studies on the vivax malaria readmitted in military hospital.
- Author:
Dong Hoon KO
1
;
Shin Soo KIM
;
Byung Seop CHOI
;
Woong SEOG
;
Chang Hoon KIM
;
Young Key CHO
;
Byung Jo SO
;
Chang Soo KIM
Author Information
1. Office of the Surgeon General, Army Headquarter, Gyeryong, Korea. preman@netgo.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Plasmodium vivax;
Malaria;
Patient readmission
- MeSH:
Chemoprevention;
Fever;
Hospitals, Military*;
Humans;
Incidence;
Korea;
Malaria;
Malaria, Vivax*;
Military Personnel*;
Patient Readmission;
Plasmodium vivax;
Republic of Korea;
Treatment Outcome;
Veterans
- From:Korean Journal of Medicine
2005;68(6):611-618
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Vivax malaria reemerged in the Republic of Korea in 1993. Since 1993, many cases with malaria have been reported. But due to the antimalarial activities including chemoprophylaxis and repellents, the annual incidence of malaria has been decreased. Antimalarial chemoprophylaxis is effective to control disease, but will facilitate the spread of drug-resistance or drug-tolerance. Thus, it is needed to analyze the effect of treatment outcome. METHODS: We analyzed the patients diagnosed as vivax malaria who readmitted in military hospital from 1997 to 2003. All cases were confirmed as malaria by peripheral blood smear in military hospital. RESULTS: Forty-five cases were observed in second attack and three cases were observed in third attack. All cases were vivax malaria with fever, and tertian fever developed in 25 cases (55.5%) in first attack, 22 cases (48.8%) in second attack. Various distribution of the interval between first attack remission and second attack was observed (from 8 days to 37 months). Of the all cases, 41 cases (91.1%) developed malaria between May and October in first attack, 39 cases (86.6%) in second attack. Readmission rate were 0.68%. CONCLUSION: We observed that only 45 of 6,566 (0.68%) cases were readmitted. The treatment of vivax malaria in Korea Army is effective in controlling malaria and should be cotinued. But continued surveillance with veterans and with or without chemoprophylaxis are warranted to eliminate the spread of the disease.
