A 25-year-old pregnant woman presents with fever, fatigue, and intermittent headaches. She lives in a malaria-endemic region. What are the potential implications and the next steps?
Malaria infection during pregnancy can have severe implications for both the mother and the fetus, including maternal anemia, fetal loss, preterm delivery, low birth weight, and increased neonatal mortality. Therefore, it's critical to diagnose and treat malaria in pregnant women promptly. The patient should be tested for malaria using microscopy or RDT. If confirmed, she should be treated with an antimalarial that is safe in pregnancy, such as quinine plus clindamycin, or artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) if she is in her second or third trimester.