Plasmodium falciparum-induced severe malaria with acute kidney injury and jaundice: a case report

P. falciparum-induced severe malaria with life-threatening complications like acute kidney injury (AKI), jaundice, cerebral malaria, severe anemia, acidosis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). A 31-year-old soldier man who works in Aceh Singkil, Indonesia which is an endemic malaria area presented with a paroxysm of fever, shaking chills and sweats over four days, headache, arthralgia, abdominal pain, pale, jaundice, and oliguria. Urinalysis showed hemoglobinuria. Blood examination showed hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and hyperbilirubinemia. Falciparum malaria was then confirmed by peripheral blood smear, antimalarial medications were initiated, and hemodialysis was performed for eight times. The patient's condition and laboratory results were quickly normalized. We report a case of P. falciparum-induced severe malaria with AKI and jaundice. The present case suggests that P. falciparum may induce severe malaria with life-threatening complications, early diagnosis and treatment is important to improve the quality of life of patients. Physicians must be alert for correct diagnosis and proper management of imported tropical malaria when patients have travel history in endemic areas.