Exchange Transfusion for Severe Imported Falciparum Malaria with Hyperparasitaemia: Case Report

Severe falciparum malaria is a potentially fatal infection despite optimal antimalarial treatment. Exchange transfusion is successfully used in severe falciparum malaria with hyperparasitaemia. In this paper, we describe a case of severePlasmodium falciparum infection in a 23-yearold man. The patient was referred to our emergency department with high fever after returning from Equatorial Guinea. The thin and thick blood smears revealed the presence ofP. falciparum ring forms with a parasite density of 30%. P. falciparum infection was confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The patient was successfully treated by exchange transfusion in addition to antimalarial chemotherapy. Despite limited evidence of its efficacy in improving survival, exchange transfusion can be used as an-supportive treatment in selected cases where rapid reduction in the parasite load appears necessary.