Artesunate-induced hemolysis in severe complicated malaria – A diagnostic challenge: A case report and literature review of anemia in malaria

Abstract

Malaria infection, which results due to the parasitic protozoan Plasmodium, has several known etiologies of hemolytic anemia as a possible complication in cases such as concurrent G6PD deficiency, severe parasitemia, or use of parenteral antimalarials. Although artemisinin-based antimalarial therapies are generally well-tolerated, several cases of severe post-artemisinin delayed hemolysis (PADH) have been recently reported, which present a diagnostic challenge, and affect morbidity and mortality in patients with malarial infection. We highlight the case of a young lady with Plasmodium falciparum severe parasitemia who developed hemolytic anemia after parenteral artesunate therapy.

Keywords

• Malaria
• Anemia
• Post-artemisinin delayed hemolysis
• PADH
• Plasmodium falciparum